Forbidden Love
by xxIceCrystalxx
Summary: Hollyleaf knows her destiny is to lead her Clan. But how can she when she's in love with a warrior from another Clan? A warring Clan at that? She knows she's breaking the warrior code just by being with him. How can that be her destiny?
1. The Meeting

**Well, here it is. You said I should rewrite it, and I did. Enjoy my hard work. :D By the way, do you know there are kangaroo silly bands?**

The night was dark, lit by the pale sliver of a cresent moon, the shining white curve of a claw in the sky. Silverpelt glittered faintly in the heavens, its cold white glow doing little to illuminate the darkness.

Far beneath, the slender form of a she-cat slipped through the shadows cast by the canopy of leaves. Her heart thudded madly in her chest, her gaze darted uneasily around her, fearful that her Clanmates might discover her.

Her pawsteps slowed as she reached the meeting place. It was nothing special, really, just a small clearing ringed with ferns and briars, close to the stream that marked the WindClan border. But it was sheltered, so deep in her territory that she was confident that no cat would ever find her, and, most of all, it was _hers._

She settled down to wait, only the occasional flick of her ebony-colored tail or flicker in her emerald gaze displaying her unease. She sighed, the sound light as air. "Oh, I wish he would hurry up," she muttered to nothing.

"Wish who would hurry up?" an amused voice answered. The she-cat jumped, ears flattened in embarrassment. A black shape materialized, close to invisible in the gloom. His yellow eyes shone with a teasing light. "Meeting other toms here, are you Hollyleaf? I feel cheated."

Hollyleaf got to her paws, flicking his muzzle with her tail. "Silly furball," she murmured tenderly. "You know I wouldn't." She paused, and when she spoke again, mischief laced her tone. "Whether _you _would, Breezepelt, is another story _entirely…_"

"Yes, I secret lovers in all the Clans," he laughed, playing along.

"And he admits it! But I pity the others," she purred, touching her nose to his. "None of them can ever have you."

"Why not?"

"I thought it was obvious. You're _mine._"

"Ah. I should've guessed." He twined his tail with hers for a brief moment. "By the way, be on the lookout. Onestar is planning another invasion into your territory."

"What else is new?" Hollyleaf sighed, pressing her muzzle into his shoulder. "I wish I could tell Firestar."

Breezepelt nudged her. "Hollyleaf, we've _talked _about this."

"I didn't say I _would_," she snapped back. "I said I _wished _I could. I _know _why I can't. He'd want to know how I knew, and we'd be found out."

"I don't want to lose you!" She didn't reply, only looked away. "Hollyleaf." Breezepelt met her gaze. "You're the best part of me. How would I live without you by my side?"

She cracked a small smile. "You're such a sap."

"And you love it."

"I'll give you that." She cast a glance back towards the trees. "I have to go. The dawn patrol will be out soon. Tomorrow?"

"I can't. Sedgepaw has an assessment." He looked apologetic as he nuzzled her shoulder. "If it goes well, he'll be a warrior!"

"Good luck, my love." She nuzzled him in return and started to leave. Suddenly she paused and looked back over her shoulder. "Oh, and Breezepelt?"

"Hmm?"

"I love you."

"As I love you, my sweet. Now go, before a patrol catches you." She plunged back into the ferns, and Breezepelt heard her laugh echoing through the forest.

The black tom shook his head, amused. "She really is something, isn't she?" he murmured to the sky before turning and sprinting back towards the moors.

**Well, whaddya think? Any improvement?**


	2. How Much Does He Know?

**Chapter 2. **

Hollyleaf slipped through the camp entrance, a sparrow gripped tightly in her jaws. Thornclaw was on guard. He nodded to Hollyleaf as she passed. She dropped her catch on the fresh-kill pile and looked around.

Not many cats were up. Whitewing was sharing tongues with Birchfall outside the warrior's den. Firestar surveyed the camp from the high-ledge. Her pelt prickled. Firestar was staring straight at her. She hastily looked away. As she watched, Ashfur, Foxcatcher and Rosepaw trotted through the camp entrance. The dawn patrol. She must've just missed them.

Briarkit tumbled out of the nursery, followed by her littermates, Bumblekit and Blossomkit. Millie followed them, still looking tired. Briarkit spotted Hollyleaf and rushed to her. "Guess what?" she squeaked.

"What?"

"We're having our apprentice ceremonies today! Brambleclaw said so."

Hollyleaf flicked her tail over the kit's ear. "Congratulations! I'm sure you'll all make great warriors!"

"I'm sure they will." Graystripe mewed as he passed them on his way to the fresh-kill pile. "Shouldn't you still be sleeping?" he mewed sternly to his daughter.

"We weren't sleepy so mom said we could come outside!" Blossomkit meowed.

Hollyleaf heard her name called and turned around. Jayflight was trotting towards her. "Can I talk to you?" Panic seared her pelt. How could he know about Breezefoot? "It's about Lionblaze," he went on. Hollyleaf relaxed. So he didn't know after all.

"What about him?"

"Well I'm beginning to wonder what will happen when Icestorm has her kits-"

Hollyleaf sighed. "What will happen is that he will spend every moment with her and it will make it even harder for me to get him out of the nursery."

"Precisely. I don't think it's healthy for him to spend so much time with her-"

"Jayflight, you've never been-and you never will be-in love. You'll never know what's it's like to value some other cat's life much more than your own."

"Neither have you."

Hollyleaf opened her mouth to reply but thought better of it. _Yes I have. _Jayflight would ask who the lucky cat was and she would be stuck in a situation where the only options would be to reveal her secret or be forced to lie. If she lied she would be found out and she would be forced to reveal her secret anyway. So it would probably be smarter not to say anything at all.

Jayflight bowed his head. "You're right. I was just being mouse-brained. Thanks anyway." He turned and trotted back into the medicine den. Hollyleaf watched him go, wondering if her brother knew more than he was letting on.

**Well that's it. It's finally finished. I don't know when Chapter 3 will be published. **


	3. An Apprentice

**Here it is. Enjoy. **

Hollyleaf was distracted from her thoughts by Firestar's call. He was standing on the highledge, looking down on his clan. Icestorm padded out of the nursery, her belly huge. It couldn't be much longer until her kits were born. Lionblaze followed her out. He nudged her anxiously, and she shrugged him away. Hollyleaf's whiskers twitched. Millie's kits scrambled out of the nursery, their fur gleaming. Millie and Graystripe followed them. Graystripe looked ready to burst with pride. Millie's eyes shone.

Firestar began to speak. "I gather you all for one of my favorite duties. Three of out kits are ready to become apprentices. Bumblekit, step forward."

The gray and black kit trotted forward. "Bumblekit, from this moment, until you receive your warrior name, you shall be known as Bumblepaw. Spiderleg, you will mentor Bumblepaw. Mousefur was your mentor, and I trust you to pass on all she taught you to your new apprentice." Spiderleg touched noses with his new apprentice and the pair withdrew to the side of the clearing.

Firestar called the next kit forward. "Blossomkit." The tortoishell and white kit trotted forward. "Blossomkit, from this moment, until you receive your warrior name, you shall be known as Blossompaw. Hazeltail, you are ready for your first apprentice. You shall mentor Blossompaw. Dustpelt was your mentor, and I trust you to pass on all he taught you to young Blossompaw." Hazeltail strutted forward and touched noses with Blossompaw. As Spiderleg and Bumblepaw did, they withdrew to the side of the clearing.

"Briarkit, step forward."

The brown tabby kit raced to stand beside Firestar. His whisker's twitched. "Briarkit, from this moment, until you receive your warrior name, you shall be known as Briarpaw. Hollyleaf, you are ready for your first apprentice. Brackenfur was your mentor, and I trust you to pass on all he taught you to your new apprentice." Hollyleaf could hardly believe her ears. She drifted through the crowd, and they parted to let her pass. Briarpaw sat there, her eyes shining. Hollyleaf touched noses with her, and they withdrew to the side of the clearing. Hollyleaf rested her tail on her new apprentice's shoulder. "Get some sleep. You have a long day ahead of you."

Briarpaw's tail drooped. "Oh."

"Come on. And remember you're sleeping in the apprentices' den tonight."

She brightened a little. "I am, aren't I?"

"Yes you are, Briar_paw._"

Briarpaw touched noses with her mentor again. "Good night!"

"Good night."

**Yay for Hollyleaf! **


	4. The First Day Out

**Here it is. Finally. Christmas break can be so **_**boring **_**sometimes. **

Hollyleaf stood up and stretched, yawning. She hadn't gotten much sleep last night. She padded out of the warriors den and surveyed the camp. Lionblaze was sharing a vole with Foxcatcher by the stump where the warriors ate, and he flicked his tail to Hollyleaf in greeting. She nodded and walked over to the fresh-kill pile, picked out a juicy-looking mouse, and went to join her brother.

"What are you doing today?" Lionblaze asked, his mouth full.

"I was thinking I could take Briarpaw out and show her the forest."

Foxcatcher flicked his tail. "Have fun with that."

Brambleclaw padded up. "Lionblaze. I want you to lead the dawn patrol. Take a few other cats with you."

"Yes Brambleclaw." Lionblaze got to his paws. "Foxcatcher, you coming?"

"Sure. Shall I bring Rosepaw?"

"Alright. And we'll also bring….Cloudtail and Dustpelt. That should be enough." He dissapeared into the warrior's den. Foxcatcher got up and padded over to the apprentice's den, calling Rosepaw's name.

Hollyleaf gulped down the last of her mouse and got to her paws. She might as well go get Briarpaw. She passed Foxcatcher and Rosepaw on her way to the apprentice's den. The cream-colored she-cat's eyes were bleary with sleep.

She reached the apprentice's den and peered inside. Briarpaw was curled up next to Bumblepaw, her brown form moving up and down in the steady rhythm of sleep. "Briarpaw!"

Briarpaw's head shot up, her eyes gleaming. "What are we doing today, Hollyleaf?"

"Come with me and I'll show you!"

"Alright!" Briarpaw carefully walked over to where Hollyleaf was standing, being careful not to step on any of her denmates. "Well?" She asked when she was finally standing next to her mentor.

"I'm going to show you the forest."

"Cool! When are we leaving?"

"It depends. Are you hungry?"

"No."

"Alright then. Follow me." Hollyleaf led the way through the dirt tunnel and trotted down one of the well worn path. Briarpaw followed, her quick pawsteps making it obvious she wanted to be off. "Where are we going first?"

Hollyleaf paused, thinking. "The Sky Oak!" She took off running. She could hear Briarpaw huffing and puffing behind her.

Hollyleaf slowed as soon as they neared the Sky Oak to let Briarpaw catch up. "Here we are," she announced.

Briarpaw stared at the tall branches, her eyes wide. "It's so tall!"

"Why do you think we call it the Sky Oak?"

"And where are we going now?"

"Follow me." Hollyleaf ran away in the direction of the huge old beech tree. She reached it and crouched in the bracken, beckoning to Briarpaw to join her. "This is a great place for prey," she whispered. "If a creature's hungry enough, it'll risk anything for food. What can you scent?"

Briarpaw opened her mouth. "Mouse!"

"Right. Ooh-look!" A wood mouse had nosed it's way from underneath a dead leaf. It looked around and started to rummage around for food. Hollyleaf dashed out from under the bracken and killed it with a quick nip. She turned to face her apprentice, her catch dangling from her mouth.

"Wow!" Briarpaw's eyes were wide.

Hollyleaf padded back to the bracken and crouched next to her apprentice. "Okay. Did you see how I caught that?"

"Yes."

"Good." A shrew ambled out from underneath a root and started snuffling around for food. "Now it's your turn."

Briarpaw crouched and put one paw cautiously forward. Hollyleaf rested her tail across her apprentice's shoulder. "Wait. You're not doing it right." She demonstrated the hunter's crouch again. "Try again."

Briarpaw dropped back into a crouch, this time doing it correctly. "Good." She creeped forward and pounced, landing squarely with her paws on the shrew and killed it with a swift bite to the spine. "Brilliant!" Hollyleaf congratulated her apprentice.

Briarpaw's eyes widened as she looked down at her prey. "Did I really do that?"

"Yes, you did." Hollyleaf picked up her mouse. "On with the tour!"

It was sunset by the time they returned to camp. Hollyleaf had caught another mouse and a vole and Briarpaw was carrying her shrew and a thrush.

Hollyleaf set her prey on the fresh-kill pile. "Well done," she congratulated her apprentice. "You did well today. Now eat and go get some rest."

"Okay!" Briarpaw grabbed a sparrow and scampered off to the apprentices' den. Hollyleaf watched her go before grabbing a magpie for herself and retiring to the warriors' den. Maybe she could get a good night's sleep tonight.

**It seems like Hollyleaf is turning out to be a pretty good mentor. Sorry this is so long, but I'm**_** so **_**bored. Chapter 5 will be out soon, or whenever I feel like picking up a pencil again. **


	5. An Interrupted Meeting

**Chapter 5. I got this started a lot sooner than I thought I would. But, then again, Christmas break…..**

**  
**Hollyleaf raced to the meeting spot, feeling as if her paws had wings. Breezefoot was already there, and he leaped to his paws with a surprised hiss and Hollyleaf came barreling into the clearing, nearly knocking him over. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

"Oh. Alright." He visibly relaxed.

"How's Sedgepaw?"

"Sedge_heart _now. He had his warrior ceremony yesterday." Breezefoot puffed out his chest proudly.

"That's amazing! Guess what?"

"What?"

"I've got a new apprentice! Her name's Briarpaw. She's one of Millie and Graystripe's kits."

Breezefoot touched his nose to her's. "Congratulations."

"I know. Isn't it amazing?"

"Yes, it is." He gave a loud, exaggerated sigh. "I guess I won't be able to brag about being a mentor to you anymore, can I?"

Hollyleaf nudged his side. "No, you can't, especially considering your apprentice is a warrior now."

"True." Suddenly he tensed and pricked his ears. "Someone's coming!" he hissed. "Hide!" He pushed Hollyleaf into the ferns.

She landed on her side. She got to her paws carefully. She could hear voices and pawsteps leaving. She peeked into the clearing. Breezefoot was gone. She sighed. Only to be expected.

She headed back into the forest. But suddenly she was distracted by a small scuffling noise. A water vole.

Hollyleaf dropped into a hunting crouch and creeped forward steadily. A few more steps….

Gotcha! She pounced on it and killed it with a swift bite to the spine. She picked up her catch and began to head back to camp.

She reached the thorn barrier. Birchfall was on guard. He dipped his head to Hollyleaf as she passed. She returned the greeting.

The camp was already bustiling with activity, even though it was barely dawn. What was going on?

She stopped Lionblaze from pushing past her. "What's going on?"

"A ShadowClan patrol crossed onto our land. They're claiming that the land belongs to them, even though they're at least a couple of fox-tails away from the scent line."

Hollyleaf gasped. "They're not!"

"They are. Firestar gathered a patrol together and we're going to attack them. I'm going."

"Can I come?"

"Sure. Hurry up." Lionblaze pelted to the thorn tunnel. Hollyleaf paused to take a deep breath before sprinting after her brother.

**Well, you'll just have to wait and see how the battle goes, won't you? **

**Happy 2009! **


	6. The Battle

**Hi everyone!!! Sooooo sorry about the long wait. It's just I've had so many other stories I've been working on and soooo little time on the computer…..that's never a very good combo. **

Hollyleaf was surrounded by the beating of pawsteps and the rhythm of excited panting. Briarpaw raced along beside her, her amber eyes gleaming in anticipation of her first fight. "Watch out behind you," Hollyleaf warned her apprentice. "You never know how low a ShadowClan warrior will stoop in any attack. And never turn your back on one." Briarpaw nodded in silent acknowledgement.

Hollyleaf could hear hisses and yowls up ahead. She strained her eyes. The clearing was alive with writhing feline bodies and bright splashes of blood. Hollyleaf unsheathed her claws and leaped into battle, her teeth bared.

She landed on the back of Kinkfur, a ShadowClan she-cat with fur that stuck out at all angles. Kinkfur yowled and shot into the air, carrying Hollyleaf with her. Hollyleaf hissed and held on tight as Kinkfur plummeted to the ground. Hollyleaf raked her claws along Kinkfur's spine as the ShadowClan warrior hissed and writhed back and forth, trying to break free. She rolled over and Hollyleaf lost her grip. Before she could get back onto her paws, Kinkfur stood and leaped at Hollyleaf, her claws outstretched. Hollyleaf rolled out of the way and raked her claws along Kinkfur's side, leaving a good-sized wound. Kinkfur howled and raced back into her own territory. Hollyleaf spit insults at her before turning back to the battle.

Briarpaw was sparring with Owlpaw. Briarpaw seized her opponent's head and bit down violently on his ear. The ShadowClan apprentice howled and fled into the undergrowth.

Spiderleg was fighting with Smokefoot. The two black cats seemed to be evenly matched, but Hollyleaf saw Toadfoot creeping up on Spiderleg from behind. Hollyleaf raced over, intercepting Toadfoot just as he was about to leap onto Spiderleg's back. Toadfoot hissed, twisting and raking his claws along Hollyleaf's muzzle. For a moment Hollyleaf was blinded by blood. And a moment was all Toadfoot needed. He leaped onto Hollyleaf's back and held her with his front paws while plummeting her with thorn-sharp hind claws. Hollyleaf tried to fight back, but she couldn't. Suddenly Toadfoot's weight vanished. Hollyleaf scrambled to her paws to discover that it was Cinderheart. Hollyleaf raced over to help her friend. Faced by the pair of hissing, spitting she-cats, Toadfoot turned tail and fled, back into his own territory. Hollyleaf thanked her friend and turned back to the battle. The ShadowClan cats were hopelessly outnumbered. Russetfur, their deputy, hissed, her eyes gleaming with hatred and defeat. "Just you wait," she hissed at Firestar. "This land will be ShadowClan's yet."

Firestar surveyed her coldly. "Not as long as we're here to defend it, Russetfur."

Russetfur gave him a look of deepest loathing, and gave the signal for her warriors to retreat. She followed them into the bracken, across the river, into their own territory. Cloudtail gave a yowl of pure triumph. The rest of the ThunderClan cats joined him. Hollyleaf looked around for Briarpaw. The apprentice was limping across the clearing, her brown tabby fur hanging off of her in clumps. She spotted Hollyleaf and hurried over to her mentor, her eyes shining. "That was amazing!"

"Wasn't it?" Hollyleaf gave her apprentice's ear a lick. "I saw you fighting Owlpaw. You did very well."

"I did?"

"You did."

Lionblaze limped over to the pair. "Come on. Let's go home." He turned and left.

Hollyleaf nodded and followed him. The sun was just beginning to rise, and the forest was flooded with red light. _This,_ Hollyleaf thought, _is what makes being a clan cat worthwhile. _


	7. A New Beginning

**You know, I really must be stupid. I wrote this, thinking that I'd post it as chapter 6, and when I finished writing it I realized that I had written in Chapter 5 that the next chapter would be about a battle. So I had to go back and type up the whole of chapter 6 before I could post this. Hehe.**

Hollyleaf yawned and blinked open her eyes. Bright sunlight streamed through the branches of the warrior's den. Might as well get up now.

As she pushed through the den entrance, she noticed that the fresh-kill pile was looking pitifully small. She would have to go hunting. Maybe she could take Briarpaw with her.

She had barely taken one step towards the apprentice's den when Lionblaze came bounding over to her. "Guess what?"

"What?"

"Icestorm had her kits!"

"Congratulations!"

"I know. They're two she-kits and a tom!"

"Have you named them yet?"

"Yes. The two she-kits are Snowkit and Splotchkit and the tom is Sunkit."

"Those are wonderful names. Does Foxcatcher know yet?"

"No, not yet. I was just going to tell him."

"Hurry then, I bet he wants to know that he has two nieces and a nephew!"

As Lionblaze bounded away, Hollyleaf padded over to the nursery. She met Ferncloud outside the entrance. The she-cat's eyes were shining. "Come to see the new arrivals, Hollyleaf?"

"Actually, I have."

"Well, go on in then." Ferncloud stepped aside.

Inside the nursery it was warm and dark. Icestorm was laying in the corner of the den, her white fur glowing softly in the darkness. Hollyleaf could just make out three small bundles curled up in the curve of Icestorm's belly. "They're beautiful, Icestorm," Hollyleaf murmured.

"Aren't they?" Icestorm's blue eyes were glowing.

"Lionblaze told me you named them Snowkit, Splotchkit, and Sunkit. So, which is which?"

"This one is Snowkit," Icestorm pointed with her tail to a tiny white she-kit. "This one is Sunkit," she pointed to a golden tom that looked like a tiny copy of Lionblaze, "And this one is Splotchkit." She pointed to a she-kit with white fur and golden splotches all over her body.

"Wonderful."

"Do you think you'll ever have kits, Hollyleaf?" Icestorm looked up from her kits to fix Hollyleaf with an inquisitive stare.

"I…I really don't know, Icestorm." But while she was standing there, with the milky scents of the nursery surrounding her, Hollyleaf somehow knew the answer would be yes. "I really must be going, Icestorm. I promised Briarpaw I'd take her hunting today."

"Good-bye then." Icestorm turned her attention back to her kits.

Hollyleaf met Foxcatcher outside the nursery. He nodded to Hollyleaf as she passed and dissapeared inside the nursery. Hollyleaf padded to the apprentice's den. Briarpaw was already up and washing. She bounded over when she was called. Mentor and apprentice left camp, but Hollyleaf wasn't paying attention to her apprentice or to the hunt. Her mind was elsewhere. _What will happen if I do have kits? Will the clan ever discover who the father is? What will that mean to my ambition to become leader? _And the most troubling question of all:

_What will that mean to the clan?_

**What did you think? I'm not so sure I like the ending. Anyway, if you were wondering why Lionblaze had to go tell Foxcatcher about the kits, Foxcatcher and Icestorm are littermates. Ferncloud is their mother. So that solves that mystery. Well, review and tell me what you thought! **


	8. A Dream Visit

**I made a pact to myself that I would update each and every one of my stories today. So far, so good. **

The moon was high in the sky as Hollyleaf and Briarpaw trotted through the camp entrance. Hollyleaf had taken her apprentice for a training session at sun-high that had lasted until moon-set. After the training session was over she had taken her apprentice on a hunt. They had both been successful. Hollyleaf was carrying a chaffinch and a shrew and Briarpaw was dragging a rabbit that was almost as big as she was. The clearing was silent except for the soft, steady breathing and quiet stirrings of sleeping cats.

Hollyleaf dropped her catch on the fresh-kill pile before turning to her apprentice. "I want you to and get a good long sleep," she ordered Briarpaw. "You must be exhausted."

"Alright, but can I eat first?"

Hollyleaf purred. "You may." Briarpaw studied the fresh-kill pile for a moment and choose a magpie. She trotted over to the apprentices' den and settled down to eat her meal. Hollyleaf chose a vole for herself and padded over to the warriors' den, demolishing her vole in a few famished bites. Being a mentor sure was hard work. She stepped lightly over to her nest, careful to avoid the other warriors. She settled down, and soon fell into a deep sleep.

Hollyleaf found herself in a large clearing in the middle of new-leaf. The leaves were stirring in a faint warm breeze, and the grass underfoot was long and luxurious. Hollyleaf found this strange, as the cold winds of leaf-bare were just beginning to blow in. With a jolt, Hollyleaf realized that she was dreaming.

She had no sooner reached this conclusion that she realized that she wasn't alone. A majestic blue-gray she-cat was prowling across the clearing towards her, the glimmer of starlight in her long fur and in the sparkle of her ice-blue eyes. Her muzzle was streaked with silver, and a long scar parted the fur along her shoulders. Hollyleaf had the weirdest feeling that she knew this she-cat, but was sure that she had never seen her before. The blue-gray she-cat spoke. "Welcome, young one."

Hollyleaf replied, trying not to let her voice shake. "W-Who are you?"

The blue-gray she-cat purred, a deep vibration that filled every fiber of Hollyleaf's being. "I am Bluestar."

"Bluestar!" Hollyleaf had heard stories of the great leader, but had never imagined that she would see her in person. She crouched low.

Bluestar touched her nose to Hollyleaf's head, and it burned like fire against her skin. "Get up, young one." Hollyleaf obeyed. "Now, I am thinking that you are wondering why I am here, am I correct?"

"Yes, Bluestar."

"Well, I take it you know of the prophecy?"

"Yes," Hollyleaf murmured. _There will be three, kin of the cat with flame in his pelt, who hold the power of the stars in their paws._

"Yes, and there is something that you don't know, that Sol didn't tell you." _Sol! _The evil cat who had tried to destroy the warrior code in ShadowClan. Hollyleaf snarled. Bluestar went on. "There are three cats in StarClan that have been assigned to be the guardians of you and your littermates, because, essentially, they are you and you are them."

"Really?" This was getting to be too much for Hollyleaf to believe.

"Yes. I have been assigned to be your guardian. I will be there to lead you throughout your life, Hollyleaf, and StarClan have foretold a great destiny for you." Bluestar paused. "Now it is time for you to rejoin your Clan, young one. And remember, I will always be there for you." Her voice seemed to echo around the clearing as she faded into mist. _Always, always, always…._

Hollyleaf was jolted awake by a furious yowl. Lithe dark forms were streaming into the clearing, and warriors were racing out of the den to meet them, hissing and spitting. With a brief wave of horror, Hollyleaf recognized the cat at the head.

Onestar!

_WindClan have invaded! _


	9. An Invasion!

**Thanks for the amazing one review so far. *rolls eyes* Ah well it's only been posted for a day….whatever!!! :D Now where was I…..oh now I remember! **

Hollyleaf watched in horror as her Clanmates attacked the WindClan warriors. _Please, StarClan, don't let Breezefoot be here! _She couldn't stand the thought of him getting hurt…of maybe him dying….it was too horrible to think about. Suddenly a terrified squeal cut through the darkness. _The nursery! Oh, StarClan, no! _

Icestorm was outside the nursery, fighting with all her strength to keep the WindClan warriors from entering. There was a fierce light in her blue eyes as she slashed and snarled at the WindClan cats. She didn't look like she needed help, but…Antpelt was creeping past her, into the nursery. Hollyleaf hissed and bounded after him.

Icestorm's three kits were cowering in their nest as Antpelt reached for them with outstretched claws. All except one. Sunkit, the tom, was slashing at Antpelt's nose. His claws connected and Antpelt hissed. He reached for Sunkit with gleaming teeth. "Wow, Antpelt, I'd never think that you'd stoop so low," Hollyleaf hissed. "Trying to kill innocent kits?"

Antpelt wheeled around. "You," he snarled at Hollyleaf. Then he lunged for her.

"Get out of the way!" Hollyleaf bundled the kits against the side of the nursery. "Yes, even you, Sunkit." The little tom was bouncing forward, trying to help. "Stay with your sisters."

Antpelt lunged for her again. In the confined space of the nursery, it was hard to maneuver out of his way, but Hollyleaf managed it. She slashed at his exposed underbelly as he landed clumsily on his side. He wailed and raced out of the nursery, hopefully back to his own territory. Hollyleaf watched him go, and then turned back to the kits. "Stay here." she commanded. "I don't want any of you outside, do you hear me?" All three kits nodded their heads quickly. "Good." She bounded outside.

Once outside, she scented the air. Through the scent of blood and the mingled scents of her Clanmates and WindClan, she smelled a warmly familiar scent. _Breezefoot! _She raced towards the scent.

Breezefoot was lurking in the shadows, watching the battle unfold with horror in his eyes. But his eyes brightened when he spotted Hollyleaf. "What's going on?" she hissed as she skidded to a stop.

Breezefoot blinked. "I told you that Onestar was going to invade. I'm so sorry, Hollyleaf. I managed to hold him off for as long as I could, but…I couldn't stop him."

Hollyleaf lowered her head. "It's okay, Breezefoot. I don't blame-"

A golden shape came hurtling out of the darkness and collided into Breezefoot. Lionblaze! His pelt was red with blood but there was the light of battle in his eyes as he raked his claws along Breezefoot's spine and sunk his teeth into the back of his neck. Hollyleaf could only watch in horror as Breezefoot's body went limp. "_No_!"

The sound tore from her throat as she leaped towards Lionblaze, knocking him off of Breezefoot. Lionblaze scrambled to his feet. "Hollyleaf--?"

But she didn't hear him. She was crouching beside Breezefoot, pressing her nose into his black fur. Suddenly his eyes blinked open. "Hollyleaf?"

"Yes, I'm here," she murmured. "I'm so sorry Breezefoot, I just—" Her voice caught and she swallowed. "I just couldn't let him kill you."

Breezefoot purred, a barely audible sound but beautiful to Hollyleaf's ears. "I don't blame you."

"That makes one of us."

Lionblaze was watching them, confusion in his eyes. "Hollyleaf, what's going on?"

She stood and faced her brother. "I couldn't let you kill him."

"Why not?"

"Because…" Hollyleaf closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

"_Because I love him._"

**Ooh! Hollyleaf revealed her big secret! How will Lionblaze react? Will he keep her secret or tell the entire Clan? Stay tuned to find out!**


	10. The Aftermath

**So sorry for the really long wait!!!! I'll try to update faster next time!!! Anyway, I just read Sunrise and wanted to say this: this is **_**my **_**version of the series. In my version, Squirrelflight and Brambleclaw **_**are **_**the parents of Lionblaze, Jayfeather and Hollyleaf, so HollyXBreeze is **_**not**_** incest. Oh, and I found out that Breezefoot's name is actually Breezepelt. So I changed that. And **SPOILER ALERT** Hollyleaf does **_**not **_**die. Oh, and Hollyleaf never killed Ashfur, 'kay? So, now that we've sorted that much out, on with the tale! **

The sounds of battle faded around Hollyleaf. Lionblaze was looking at her in horror. "Hollyleaf….you could've chosen any tom in ThunderClan for a mate! Why did you choose _him_? Did you even think about what this could mean to the Clan? Did you even-"

"And do you think that I haven't asked myself each and every one of those questions?" Hollyleaf spat. "I _know _that I could've chosen any cat in ThunderClan to be my mate. So why did I choose Breezepelt? I don't know. StarClan must have had some reason for bringing us together, I know that much."

Lionblaze's eyes softened. "I can't argue with that. But I want to warn you—"

They were both distracted by Onestar's yowl. The WindClan leader was standing in the center of camp, blood pouring from a long gash in his side. "This is _not _over Firestar," he hissed.

"Far from it," Firestar hissed back. His green eyes were shining with rage. "Leave now."

Onestar surveyed Firestar coldly. With a flick of his tail he summoned his Clan and plunged out the thorn barrier, back to the safety of his own territory. ThunderClan warriors yowled and hissed insults at the WindClan cats as they retreated. "I'd better go," Breezepelt mewed ruefully. "Good-bye, Hollyleaf."

"Good-bye, Breezepelt," Hollyleaf replied and watched her mate race after his Clanmates.

"I'd better go check on Icestorm," Lionblaze meowed after the last WindClan warrior had vanished. He bounded across the clearing to the nursery.

Hollyleaf surveyed the damage. Cats were beginning to get up and limp towards the medicine cats. Leafpool and Jayfeather padded around, checking on the injured cats and nudging the ones that were able to move to the medicine den. Birchfall was lying on the ground, bleeding out of a wound from the ShadowClan cats that had reopened in the short but fierce battle. His eyes were open and he breathed in quick, short gasps.

Hollyleaf raced over to him. Rapidly his breathing was becoming weaker and weaker. His eyes were beginning to glaze over. "Jayfeather! Leafpool!" Hollyleaf yowled. "It's Birchfall! Come quick!"

Leafpool ran over, quickly assessing her patient. "I need cobwebs," she mewed. "Hollyleaf, can you go get some? Go quickly!"

Terrified for Birchfall, Hollyleaf ran to the medicine den and pushed through the entrance. Cobwebs, cobwebs……there they were! She grabbed a pawful and raced back outside.

Birchfall's breathing was barely visible now. Hollyleaf dropped the cobwebs at the medicine cat's paws. Quickly she pressed them to Birchfall's wound. Birchfall's jaws moved, but only a strangled cry came out. "Whitewing…."

"No!" Hollyleaf growled. "No, you can't die, Birchfall! Not now! Not now when your kits are almost ready to become apprentices! Birchfall!" She pressed more cobwebs to his wound.

But all her efforts were useless. Birchfall's breathing faded away and finally his eyes gazed sightlessly. "We were too late," Leafpool whispered. "He's dead."

Hollyleaf pressed her nose into Birchfall's rapidly cooling fur. "Good-bye," she whispered. Then she straightened. "I'll go find Whitewing."

She found the white queen in the nursery, comforting her kits, who were whimpering with terror. "Don't worry, little kits," Whitewing soothed. "This won't happen again. I promise." She spotted Hollyleaf. "Why, hello Hollyleaf," she mewed. "Are you okay?"

"Yes," she murmured. "But there's some bad news. Come with me." She led Whitewing into the clearing.

Whitewing let out an anguished wail when she saw the dead body of her mate. "Birchfall!" Cats parted to let her pass. She crouched beside his body, pressing her nose into his fur. "Oh, Birchfall!"

Leafpool rested her tail lightly on the white queen's shoulder. "He hunts with StarClan now."

Whitewing hardly seemed to hear her. She settled beside her mate's body, pressing her pelt into his. "Your kits will miss you," she murmured. "They will be fine warriors someday. I'll miss you, too. But I will see you in dreams, and one day I will join you in StarClan." She rested her head on Birchfall's shoulder.

Brightheart settled beside her daughter, grooming her with soft, soothing strokes. "We will all miss him," she mewed quietly. "He was a fine warrior."

Cats began to separate, heading off to their own dens or the medicine den. Ferncloud, Dustpelt, and Ashfur moved forward to sit vigil for Birchfall.

Suddenly Mousewhisker was beside Hollyleaf. "This is just like when Honeyfern died," he mewed. "Are you alright?"

_I just watched a cat die. What do you think? _She kept that thought to herself, however, and meowed instead, "Yes, I'm fine. How are you?"

"Fine," Mousewhisker replied. "But Emberfoot gave me a nasty scratch, though."

Hollyleaf turned her head and saw a scratch on his neck. "Ooh, ouch."

"Yeah, tell me about it." Mousewhisker looked at her, his eyes glowing. "But that's fine, as long as you're okay."

With a jolt, Hollyleaf recognized the emotion in his eyes. _He loves me! _The thought made her feel strangely light-headed and dizzy. But she liked it. She liked a lot. _But he can't love me! I love Breezepelt! _Another nagging thought tugged at her. _So why does Mousewhisker make me feel like this?_

**Ahh, you gotta love the internal conflicts! So who will Hollyleaf choose? To be honest, I haven't even decided yet. The decision is kind of….in progress, okay? Anyway, I hope you liked it! I tried to make it longer, I really did!**


	11. An Assesment

**Hello everyone! Welcome back! Now, does anyone remember where the last chapter left off? If you don't, please, please go back and reread it. **

Hollyleaf could hear the other warriors beginning to get up and leave the warriors den, but she ignored them. She didn't want to wake up. She had been having the most wonderful dream…

She felt a sharp prod in her shoulder. She pretended not to notice, squeezing her eyes shut. The prod came again, and this time she could scent Hazeltail. "Wake up, Hollyleaf," the gray and white warrior mewed. "Firestar wants us to assess the apprentices."

Hollyleaf groaned and slowly got to her paws. "Already?" she asked curiously. "But they've only been training for a moon and a half."

Hazeltail shrugged. "So? Blossompaw is coming on really well. She took down a raven a few days ago on a hunting patrol." Her voice was full of pride.

Hollyleaf purred. "Come on, let's go find them then."

Outside the air was cold and crisp. A thin covering of snow coated the clearing. It made the clearing shimmer and sparkle in the early morning sun. Spiderleg was instructing the three apprentices outside the thorn barrier. Blossompaw and Bumblepaw listened attentively, but Briarpaw was shuffling her paws impatiently. She didn't seem to be listening to a word Spiderleg said.

"The snow will make it harder to find the prey," Spiderleg was mewing as Hollyleaf approached. "But I still expect all three of you to bring back at least two pieces of prey each. Bumblepaw, you hunt by the Sky Oak. Blossompaw, you head towards the old beech tree. Briarpaw, you hunt near the ShadowClan border. But don't cross it!" he added sharply. "Oh, Hollyleaf, Hazeltail, there you are! Right," he mewed to the apprentices, "now that your mentors are here, you can leave. But you have to be back

by--" Spiderleg was cut off when Briarpaw leaped to her paws and raced out the barrier. "sunset."

Sighing, Hollyleaf followed her apprentice out into the forest. Briarpaw was nowhere to be seen. She rolled her eyes. Briarpaw was like a rabbit almost; no cat could hold her attention for more than a few moments. Opening her mouth, she caught a trace of Briarpaw's scent on the breeze. She followed it, careful to keep her pawsteps light.

She caught up to her apprentice at ShadowClan border. Briarpaw had paused for a moment to scent the air. Suddenly a squirrel darted across her paws. She barely paused for a heartbeat before chasing after it. Hollyleaf sighed before darting after her.

Briarpaw had caught her squirrel. But..._oh no! She's crossed the border! _The assessment forgotten, Hollyleaf leaped out of the bushes. "Briarpaw! She yowled. "Get back here!"

Briarpaw spun around. "Hollyleaf?"

"Get back here!" Hollyleaf hissed. "Now!"

Briarpaw picked up her squirrel and began to pad back to her own territory. Suddenly a cold voice split the air. "Well, well, well. What have we here?"

Briarpaw froze. Four ShadowClan cats appeared; Ratscar, Snaketail, Whitewater, and her apprentice, Redpaw. "ThunderClan cats?" Snaketail sneered. "Oh, and they're stealing prey!"

"Prey-stealers!" Redpaw hissed, unsheathing his claws. Whitewater lashed her tail and spat at the ThunderClan cats.

Hollyleaf dipped her head respectfully to the ShadowClan patrol. "Forgive her for trespassing on your territory," she mewed. "She is still young, and has yet to learn about borders." Briarpaw was whimpering with terror, edging back slowly from the patrol.

"Don't go anywhere, apprentice!" Ratscar hissed. Briarpaw froze.

Snaketail studied the ThunderClan cats. "Very well. I will let it pass this time. But don't let it happen again."

"We won't, Snaketail. Come on, Briarpaw." Briarpaw turned tail from the ShadowClan cats and fled across the border. "Until we meet again." Hollyleaf turned her back on the ShadowClan cats and walked away.

"That was so scary!" Briarpaw's eyes were wide.

Hollyleaf spun around. "_Never _cross the borders again," she snarled, "because the last thing Firestar needs right now is a war with another Clan." She turned away. "And next time I won't be there to rescue you."

Briarpaw did well in the rest of the assessment, and returned to the camp at sunset with two mice, a shrew and a blackbird in her jaws. She dropped the prey on the pile and padded away to her den. Hollyleaf chose a sparrow and headed off to eat.

Mousewhisker, Berrynose, and Brightheart were already there. Hollyleaf settled down to eat. "Hi, Hollyleaf," Mousewhisker greeted her. "How was Briarpaw's assessment?"

She swallowed. "Briarpaw did very well. But we had a little run-in with a ShadowClan patrol."

"Oh no," Brightheart mewed. "What happened?"

"Briarpaw chased a squirrel across the border. ShadowClan caught her."

"Is she okay?"

"Yes. They just warned us to stay away from the border."

"Knowing ShadowClan, they'll use that as an excuse to attack," Berrynose muttered.

Brightheart flicked the cream-colored warrior over his ear with her tail. "Don't say that! That's the last thing Firestar needs right now."

"I told Briarpaw the same thing." The four cats were silent for a while. "So…" Hollyleaf mewed, "what did you do today?"

Mousewhisker yawned. "Hunted, went on patrol, same old."

"Firestar is going to make Whitewing's kits apprentices at moonrise," Brightheart meowed, her voice full of pride. Hollyleaf remembered that she was Whitewing's mother.

"That's wonderful! Do you know who's going to mentor them?" Mousewhisker purred.

Brightheart twitched her whiskers. "No clue."

Suddenly Hollyleaf heard Firestar's yowl. "Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey join here beneath the Highledge for a Clan meeting!"

Hollyleaf gulped down the last of her sparrow and rose to her paws. Cats were beginning to gather underneath the Highledge, and Hollyleaf chose a spot between Lionblaze and Sorreltail.

"Cats of ThunderClan," Firestar began, "today we welcome two new apprentices into the Clan. Ivykit, come forward."

Ivykit was shaking as she padded up to stand in front of Firestar. "Ivykit, from this moment, until you receive your warrior name, you shall be known as Ivypaw. Mousewhisker, you are ready for your first apprentice. You will be mentor to Ivypaw. Thornclaw was your mentor, and I trust you to pass on his strength and courage to your new apprentice." Hollyleaf saw Mousewhisker's eyes glowing as he padded up to touch noses with his new apprentice.

"Dovekit." The fluffy gray kit raced forward and skidded to a halt beside Firestar. His whiskers twitched. "Dovekit, from this moment, until you receive your warrior name, you shall be known as Dovepaw." Firestar paused to survey the Clan. "Lionblaze, you too are ready for your first apprentice. You are a young warrior, but you have bravery and intelligence, and I trust you to pass on all you know to Dovepaw." Dovepaw whipped her head around and stared with wide eyes as Lionblaze padded up to her. _She would be intimidated, _Hollyleaf thought with amusement. _Lionblaze is one of the biggest cats in the Clan. _

"Before you all go," Firestar mewed, "I have one more ceremony to perform. Toadpaw and Rosepaw have had their final assessment this morning, and their mentors and I have decided that it is time for them to become warriors. Come forward, you two."

The two apprentices looked nervous as they went to stand beside Firestar. "Foxcatcher, Brackenfur, are you satisfied that your two apprentices have completed their training to the best of their abilities?"

"He will be a valuable warrior," mewed Brackenfur. Foxcatcher nodded agreement.

"Very well. I, Firestar, leader of ThunderClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on these apprentices. They have trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend them to you as warriors in their turn. Toadpaw, Rosepaw, do you promise to follow the warrior code and to protect and defend this Clan, even at the cost of your life?"

"I do," Toadpaw meowed solemnly. Rosepaw echoed him.

"Then by the powers of StarClan I give you your warrior names. Toadpaw, from this moment you shall be known as Toadleap. StarClan honors your loyalty and your intuition, and welcome you as a full warrior of ThunderClan." Firestar laid his head on Toadleap's shoulder and Toadleap thanked him with a purr of thanks.

"Rosepaw." The cream-colored apprentice was shaking. "From this moment you shall be known as Rosefrost. StarClan honors your honesty and your determination, and welcome you as a full warrior of ThunderClan." Firestar laid his muzzle on Rosefrost's bowed head. Rosefrost was purring so hard that Hollyleaf could hear her. She raised her head and padded over to meet her brother, and the two young cats walked side-by-side into the center of the clearing.

Suddenly Poppyfrost was beside her. "Look at Mousewhisker," she mewed wistfully. "He's _so _handsome. You're lucky, Hollyleaf. I'd give _anything _to have a tom like him for my mate."

"Yeah," Hollyleaf replied distractedly. "Yeah, I am, aren't I?" _Poppyfrost, you're welcome to him. I don't want him as my mate…._

…_.or do I?_

**Well, how did you like it? Press that pretty green button and tell me!!! Please? Please?**

**AND WILL YOU PEOPLE **_**PLEASE **_**GO VOTE ON MY POLL!!!!!! I NEED NAMES!!!!! **

_._


	12. An Emergency

**If you see this that means that my beta has approved my previous chapter and I have given myself permission to start this one. **

**I should probably start adding this:**

**Disclaimer: I OWN NOTHING ABOUT WARRIORS AND IT MAKES ME SAD!!!!! Well I own the OC's but that's it. **

"Hollyleaf!" An irritated yowl split Hollyleaf's ears. She got to her paw slowly. It seemed like only a moment since she had fallen asleep after Toadleap's and Rosefrost's warrior ceremonies. She could see the two young cats now, standing alert in the center of the clearing. "_Hollyleaf!" _

"What is it, Dustpelt?" Hollyleaf called warily. "It's not even sunrise!"

"You're wanted for the moonhigh patrol. Get out here _now_!"

Hollyleaf padded out of her nest sleepily. Snow had fallen while she was asleep; and it lay over the camp in a thick blanket, sparkling under the moonlight.

Cloudtail was pacing irritably outside the thorn tunnel, and Berrynose and Cinderheart stood with their heads close together, talking in low voices. "There you are," Dustpelt mewed as Hollyleaf approached. "It's about time."

"Leave her alone, Dustpelt," Cinderheart purred. "She was running after Briarpaw all yesterday. You can't blame her for being tired." Dustpelt snorted in reply and led the way out into the forest. The rest of the patrol followed.

As she ran, Hollyleaf couldn't help but notice how Berrynose and Cinderheart ran close together, their pelts just brushing. Berrynose leaned over and whispered something in her ear. Cinderheart blushed. _Must be he's getting over Honeyfern, _Hollyleaf thought with satisfaction. _That's a good thing. He's been so depressed since she died. _

They got the patrol done near moonset. Hollyleaf padded into camp feeling as if her paws were heavy as stone. She collapsed in her nest, and was asleep within a heartbeat.

Hollyleaf was jarred awake yet again by the sound of hoarse coughing. She raised her head off her paws wearily.

Cinderheart was sitting up in her nest, a hoarse cough shaking her body every few seconds. Hollyleaf got up and walked anxiously over to her friend. "Are you okay?"

"I'm…fine…" She choked out between fits of coughing.

The heat flooding from her frightened Hollyleaf. "No, you're not. You're going to go see Leafpool and Jayfeather."

"No!" Cinderheart insisted. "I should be out in the forest, hunting for Icestorm and the kits." She broke off into another fit of coughing. "I'm fine, really."

Hollyleaf was beginning to feel more and more alarmed. She padded out of the den and hurried over to the medicine den. "Leafpool? Jayfeather?" Hollyleaf called, poking through the bramble barrier.

"What is it, Hollyleaf?" Leafpool asked, looking up from the herbs she had been sorting.

"Cinderheart's ill."

"What is it?"

"She's been coughing, and she has a fever."

"I'll go see her." She padded out of the den. "Oh, and Hollyleaf," Leafpool called over her shoulder, "aren't you going hunting?"

Hollyleaf sighed. "Yeah, then I'm taking Briarpaw for a training session."

"You might want to get going then."

"Okay." Hollyleaf padded out of the medicine den and headed towards the apprentices' den.

As she passed the nursery, she heard Sunkit mewling plaintively to his mother, "Mama, _why _can't we go and play outside?"

"Yeah, we haven't been outside in _ages_," his sister Splotchkit added.

"It's much to cold for you, little ones," Icestorm murmured. "You can go outside when the snow melts."

"But that's _ages _away," Snowkit complained.

"Then so be it, kits. Now quiet down and go back to sleep."

Briarpaw was sitting in her nest, washing. "Briarpaw," Hollyleaf called, "we're going hunting."

"Coming, Hollyleaf," Briarpaw replied. "Where are we hunting?" she asked curiously.

"Near the WindClan border. We'll hunt until sun-high and—"

"Hollyleaf!" Jayfeather was hurrying towards her. "We need catmint!"

"Cinderheart has greencough!?" Hollyleaf asked, panic slashing through her like a claw.

"Yes, her and Longtail. You need to fetch catmint, at once!"

"How much do you need?"

"At much as you can carry!"

"We'll be back soon," Hollyleaf promised and fled out of the camp.

They reached the old Twoleg nest. Warily mentor and apprentice creeped around the back. "The catmint's gone!" Briarpaw wailed. All the stalks were blackened and dead. "What are we going to do, Hollyleaf?" she whimpered.

Hollyleaf swallowed hard. "I don't know," she answered honestly. "Tell you what. Meet me at the training hollow. We'll hunt later. I'm going to go tell Jayfeather." She bounded away.

Jayfeather was pacing anxiously outside his den as Hollyleaf entered camp. "Where's the catmint?" he demanded as Hollyleaf approached him.

"It's gone, Jayfeather." Hollyleaf meowed. "The snow killed it."

Jayfeather groaned. "Then I guess we'll just have to make do with what we have."

"How much catmint do you have?" Hollyleaf asked curiously.

"Enough," Jayfeather replied grimly.

Lionblaze and Mousewhisker were already there with their apprentices, giving a hunting lesson. Briarpaw was watching them with interest.

"Briarpaw!" Hollyleaf called. "We're training over here."

Briarpaw trotted over to her mentor. "What are we doing?"

"Fighting practice," Hollyleaf replied, crouching low. "Attack me."

Briarpaw mirrored her mentor's crouch and creeped forward. Hollyleaf stayed where she was, waiting patiently. Suddenly Briarpaw leaped forward, paws outstretched. Hollyleaf stepped sideways, butting her apprentice in the flank as she flew past. "Good," Hollyleaf mewed critically, "but you're still keeping your weight balanced on one side. Even out your weight so it's not so easy for me to unbalance you."

"Oh. Can I try again, Hollyleaf?"

"Sure, but remember—oomph!" Briarpaw had flew at her suddenly, catching Hollyleaf on the side and making her stumble back a few steps. Briarpaw gave Hollyleaf's ear a well-aimed blow before leaping backward out of reach. "Very good," Hollyleaf purred. "Keep it up and you'll be a warrior in no time."

Briarpaw purred with delight. Hollyleaf smiled fondly at her apprentice. "Right, now let's see how well you can defend yourself. Try to unbalance me as I come at you."

"Okay!" Briarpaw crouched and watched her mentor with alert amber eyes. Hollyleaf darted forward, aware that Briarpaw was raising a paw, ready to bring it down on her mentor's head. Hollyleaf swerved the other way and nipped the brown she-cat's side lightly as she passed. "Hey!" Briarpaw squealed. "That hurt!"

"Do you honestly think a ShadowClan warrior's going be gentle on you just because you are a ThunderClan apprentice? I don't think so."

Briarpaw hung her head. "Sorry, Hollyleaf."

"It's okay. Now let's try that move again."

They trained until sunhigh. When they were done Hollyleaf was beginning to feel a bit battered. "Well done," she panted. "You're coming along brilliantly, Briarpaw."

"Thanks, Hollyleaf!"

"Are you tired?"

"No."

"Then hunt until sunset. After that you can take care of the elders."

"Okay, Hollyleaf. I'll see you later."

"Good-bye, Briarpaw."

**Well that seemed like a good place to leave off. 1, 079 WORDS! *laughs manically* YES!!!!!!!!! FINALLY!!!!!!!!!**


	13. An Epidemic

**Hey everybody!!! Well I got bored writing about Hollyleaf's life so I decided to take a break and write about Jayfeather! So yeah…enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: WHY CAN'T I OWN WARRIORS!?!?!?!?! WHY!?!?!?!?!**

The sound of coughing and wheezing was making Jayfeather's ears hurt. Cinderheart was writhing in her sleep, and Longtail was still. Blossompaw seemed peaceful, but heat was still radiating from her. "How much catmint is left?" Leafpool breathed in his ear.

"Not much." Jayfeather prodded the measly pile of herbs. "Feverfew is running low, too."

Leafpool sighed. "You're sure there's not more?"

"Hollyleaf said that all of it was gone."

"Did you go check?"

"I haven't had time to."

"Could you go see? And keep an eye out for some feverfew, too. And tansy."

Jayfeather left the den silently. The camp was quiet. Every cat was out hunting. His paws carried him to the Twoleg nest unconsciously.

He sighed in dismay as he reached the plant. Hollyleaf hadn't been lying. There was no trace of the sweet scent.

Dismayed, he headed back to camp. He found a clump of feverfew near the entrance to camp and grabbed a mouthful.

"Here." Jayfeather dropped the feverfew at Leafpool's paws.

"That's all you could find?"

"Yes."

"Oh well," she sighed. "Dose Blossompaw, will you please? And when you're done you can clean out the bedding." She walked away, picking up a mouthful of feverfew as she went.

Something didn't seem right to Jayfeather. He stood still for a moment, mulling it over. Suddenly he realized; his mentor's fur had been too hot. "Leafpool?" he whispered.

"Yes, Jayfeather?"

"Come here for a moment."

She padded over to him. Now that she was near he could smell the stench of greencough flooding off her fur. His suspicions were confirmed when she suddenly coughed violently, scattering the feverfew across the ground.

"Leafpool, go lay down. I'll make a nest for you." He grabbed a mouthful of moss and shaped it into a nest beside Longtail. "Sleep."

"Jayfeather, I'm fine."

"No, you're not. You have greencough."

She coughed violently again. "No, I don't."

"Yes, you do." His voice softened. "Leafpool, I know what to do. You go ahead and rest."

She coughed again. "Okay, but get Brightheart. She can help you."

Jayfeather nodded and left the den. Cats were beginning to return to camp. "Brightheart?" he called.

The she-cat looked up. "Jayfeather?

"Can you come help me for a while?"

"Sure. What's wrong?" she padded over.

He lowered his voice. "Leafpool is ill."

Her shocked gasp was predictably. "Oh no!"

His voice was grim. "Yes. I need you to help me."

"Of course, Jayfeather. What do you need me to do?"

"Could you change the bedding? I need to dose Blossompaw." He picked up the feverfew and went to see to his patient.

They worked in silence for a while. Suddenly the bracken at the entrance rattled, and Jayfeather scented Hollyleaf. "I thought you might need help," she mewed, awkwardness streaming from her fur.

"Yes, we do. Do you remember what feverfew and tansy smell like?"

"Of course!" Her awkwardness suddenly gave way to indignation.

"Well could you go collect some?"

"Sure." She left the den.

"Jayfeather?" Brightheart meowed. "If you don't need me anymore…I'd like to go hunting."

"Sure you can."

"Get some rest," Brightheart mewed as she left.

"If I have time," Jayfeather muttered, and went to assess his patients. They all seemed comfortable. He nudged a bit of feverfew towards Cinderheart, and she lapped it up feebly. She seemed to be recovering.

A hoarse cough made Jayfeather's head turn. Leafpool's breathing was barely existent, and her fever was cooling. Jayfeather wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not.

"Leafpool?" He mewed, padding over to her. "How do you feel?"

She didn't answer. "Leafpool!" He nudged her. She stayed silent. He lay beside her and fell asleep.

Immediately he was in StarClan territory. Leafpool was padding in front of him. "Leafpool!" he yowled desperately. "Please don't leave!"

He noticed Spottedleaf. The tortoishell was leading Leafpool away, mewing softly to her. "Leafpool! Please!" he yowled, this time more desperately.

Leafpool paused, looking back at him. She blinked once, comforting him. "Good-bye, Jayfeather."

"Leafpool! No, wait! Leafpool! Don't leave me…" He trailed off.

"I'm sorry," a soft voice mewed in his ear.

He whirled around to face Spottedleaf. "How could you? It's all your fault! _You let her die!_"

"Oh Jayfeather," she sighed. "StarClan didn't _let _her die. It was her time to join us."

"It doesn't matter! She's gone."

Spottedleaf touched her nose to his ear. "Precious Jayfeather," she sighed, "you may never understand."

"I understand just fine," he hissed.

Spottedleaf stared at him. He blinked open his eyes. He was awake.

He got up, stretching. All the sick cats seemed fine. Blossompaw was resting, purring softly in her sleep. Longtail's breathing was deep and even. He sighed in relief.

Then he remembered with a gut-wrenching pang. _Leafpool was dead._ He was the sole medicine cat of ThunderClan now. He picked up the tabby-and-white she-cat by her scruff and dragged her into the clearing so the Clan could sit vigil.

***evil cackle* YES I JUST KILLED OFF LEAFPOOL!! Go ahead and yell at me if you want to…at least I might get some reviews…oh well. I just did what had to be done. **


	14. The Moonpool

**Hey everybody! Thanks for all the reviews and keep em coming! **

**Disclaimers: I do not own Warriors but I'm working on it! :D**

Jayfeather got up and stretched, cold making his muscles ache. He had sat vigil for Leafpool all night. His mother was beside him, her eyes half-closed as if lost in memories of the gentle she-cat who had been her sister. Firestar was on his other side, Sandstorm pressed close to him. Fresh grief washed over him, but he still had sick cats to look after.

He pushed past the brambles of the medicine den. His eyes were immediately drawn to Blossompaw, who was sitting up in her nest, kneading the moss impatiently with her paws. "Hi Jayfeather!" she mewed when she saw him. "Can I go back to the apprentices' den? Pretty please? I feel fine, honest."

Jayfeather padded over to her. Her eyes were clear, and her scent was untainted by the smell of sickness. "Alright," he relented. "But take it easy for a while, okay? No battle training yet, and I want to see you back here every day to check you recovery."

"Thank you Jayfeather!" she mewed, racing out of the den without a backwards glance.

He sniffed Longtail, who was still resting. But Cinderheart seemed to have gotten the opposite of better during the night. **(A/N: So…worse.)** She was unmoving in her nest, her breathing shallow. He pushed some more feverfew towards her, but she ignored it. He felt a prickle of worry. "Cinderheart," he mewed softly. "Cinderheart, can you hear me?" She didn't respond. "Cinderheart!"

Brightheart was next to him in an instant. "Is she going to be okay?" she meowed urgently.

"I don't know."

"Then you should probably go tell Sorreltail. Just in case Cinderheart…" she trailed off, but Jayfeather knew what she had been going to say. _Dies. _

"She's not going to," Jayfeather growled, but left the den.

Sorreltail was eating with Brackenfur underneath the Highledge. "Sorreltail," Jayfeather called. "I need to talk to you."

Sorreltail was on her paws in an instant, Brackenfur close behind. "What is it?" she mewed, panicked. "It's Cinderheart, isn't it? She gotten worse, hasn't she?" Her voice rose to a wail. "No, oh StarClan, no! Not Cinderheart! I can't lose one of my last kits!"

"Calm down," Brackenfur comforted, laying his tail on his mate's shoulder. "Cinderheart's going to be okay. _Right?_" he growled at Jayfeather.

"Ummm…yes, more than likely," he lied, knowing it would make Sorreltail feel better.

"Oh." Sorreltail visibly relaxed. "Oh, thank you Jayfeather."

"Anytime." But he couldn't ignore the prickle of guilt.

The day passed without much improvement in either cat. The sun set.

"I'm not sure," Jayfeather mewed doubtfully to Brightheart.

"Go," she insisted. "Besides, you'll have to tell the others about Leafpool."

So Jayfeather found himself walking alone through the forest on the way to the Moonpool. He smelled ShadowClan as he neared the lake. "Littlecloud! Flamepaw!" he called in greeting.

"Hey Jayfeather!" Flamepaw yowled back. "How are you?"

"Fine," he replied as he caught up the ShadowClan cats. "How's the prey running?" he asked Littlecloud.

"Brilliantly," he purred.

Barkface and Willowshine were waiting for them, Kestrelspots not far behind. The WindClan medicine apprentice had only received his full name the previous meeting as was still bursting with pride.

"Jayfeather!" Barkface called. "Where's Leafpool?"

Jayfeather hung his head. "Leafpool is dead." He heard every medicine cats' gasp. "She had greencough."

He could sense Willowshine's grief. "She will be missed by all Clans," Littlecloud murmured.

There was a moment of silence. "Shall we get going then?" Kestrelspots mewed hesitantly. "StarClan will be waiting."

"Yes," Willowshine agreed. "It's almost moonrise."

So they began the well-known walk up the rocky ledge. Cold seeped through the rock into his pads, and he shivered.

Finally they were there. Jayfeather lapped up a few drops of the starry water and fell asleep.

Instantly he was surrounded by cats. The other medicine cats were nowhere to be found. He could recognize Spottedleaf's lithe tortoishell form, the dark gray fur of Yellowfang, and Bluestar's icy blue gaze. A new cat was standing with them now, a pretty light brown tabby with white paws. Her amber eyes were warm. "Welcome Jayfeather," she mewed softly.

"Leafpool," he meowed, his voice sounding thick. She walked over to him, resting her muzzle on his bowed head, offering wordless comfort.

"Jayfeather!" Bluestar's commanding yowl made Leafpool break away from him and pad back over to where she had been standing. "You are the sole medicine cat of ThunderClan now, and StarClan recognizes you as such. StarClan hands the care of ThunderClan into your capable paws."

"Thank you Bluestar," he meowed.

The cats of StarClan vanished suddenly, leaving Jayfeather alone. "Hello?" he called hesitantly. A soft sobbing met his words. He whirled around.

A golden tabby she-cat was sitting at the edge of the pool, staring into its depths with agonized blue eyes. Tears streamed down her face into the water. He knew instantly who the cat was. Honeyfern.

As he padded closer to her he began to hear the words she was whispering under her breath. "My poor Berrynose," she whispered, touching the surface of the pool with one paw. Jayfeather noticed the image of the cream-colored tom in the pool, curled up sleeping. "You do not deserve to have your heart broken again, my love." The image changed abruptly, and Jayfeather recognized Cinderheart.

Honeyfern just seemed to realize that he was there. She whirled to face him, her eyes blazing. "Cinderheart is not ready to join us yet," she snarled. "You mustn't let her die!"

Her voice grew softer. "She can't die…"

Jayfeather was shocked by her anger. "I will everything within my power to save her," he mewed solemnly.

Honeyfern relaxed. "Good."

Jayfeather blinked open his eyes. The other medicine cats were just beginning to stir. He stretched.

"Well," Littlecloud mewed. "I'd best be going. Come on, Flamepaw." The others followed.

"See you at the Gathering!" Jayfeather called, as he too, got up to leave.

He was nearly to the WindClan border when he smelled a familiar scent, but it confused him. "Hollyleaf?"

The she-cat froze, her black fur spiked up in panic. "J-Jayfeather! What are you doing here?"

"_I_ was at the Moonpool. What are _you _doing here?"

Her fur flattened. "I fancied a bit of hunting," she mewed evasively, prodding the mouse at her paws.

He padded closer to her. "There's WindClan scent on you!" His eyes narrowed. "Have you been visiting Breezepelt again?"

Surprise flew off of her in waves. "How do you know about that?"

"Lionblaze told me."

"Oh." She sighed. "I'm going to kill him…" she muttered.

"Don't. He was only doing what he thought was best for you."

"Does the rest of the Clan know?"

"No, Lionblaze and I are the only ones."

"Good." Her voice became pleading, desperate. "You're _not _going to tell anyone, are you Jayfeather?"

"No. Why would I do that?"

"I-It's against the warrior code!"

"Yes, and I can tell you've already punished yourself enough. Now come on, I want to get back to camp and see how Cinderheart is doing."

**Hollyleaf wants you to press that pretty green button! And would you **_**please **_**go vote on my poll? The time is getting closer by the chapter…..**


	15. A Kit in Danger!

**Pretty please with sugar on top go vote on my poll?**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Warriors! *breaks down sobbing***

Two moons had passed since the greencough epidemic. Two moons since Leafpool's death. Two moons since Jayfeather had caught her coming home after she had been seeing Breezepelt.

Hollyleaf sighed. Would the drama never end? She curled her tail tighter around her nose, squeezing her eyes shut. She would have liked to sleep a while longer, but she knew that sleep wouldn't come.

She padded outside, screwing up her eyes against the bright sunlight. The days were getting steadily colder now; they were nearing the peak of leaf-bare. The aroma of fresh-kill was unusually tempting. She padded over to the pile and picked out a thrush. The moment she took a bite, however, she spit it out. Yuck! The thrush tasted horrible, like crow-food.

"What's the matter, Hollyleaf?" Lionblaze asked, coming over.

"This tastes horrible!" Hollyleaf spat, trying to get the taste of her mouth.

"Really?" Lionblaze bent his head to take a bite. "Tastes fine to me," he mumbled with his mouth full.

Hollyleaf snorted. "Hmph. You can eat your crow-food. I'm taking Briarpaw for a training session."

She wandered over to the apprentices' den. Suddenly Icestorm's kits raced out of the nursery, Sunkit in the lead. He squeaked as he bumped into Hollyleaf's paws. "Sorry Hollyleaf!" he mewed. Snowkit pounced on him and they were soon wrapped up in a play-fight.

Hollyleaf couldn't help but smile. Kits will be kits, she supposed. She paused when she heard her name called. She turned.

Cinderheart was padding towards her, a delighted purr rising in her throat. "Hollyleaf! Guess what? It's the most wonderful news!"

"What?" Hollyleaf inquired, tipping her head to one side.

"I'm going to have kits!"

"That's amazing!" Hollyleaf purred. "They're Berrynose's, aren't they!"

"Of course! I know that he'll make the best father." Her eyes glowed.

"They're won't be a better father in all the Clans than him," Hollyleaf replied, pushing away her dislike for the cream-colored warrior for her friend's sake. "How long until they're born?"

"Two moons."

"Have you told Berrynose yet?"

"Yes. He's delighted."

"Well, congratulations again. I'm taking Briarpaw hunting."

"Mind if we join you?" Mousewhisker asked, coming up behind her, Ivypaw by his side. "I was thinking that it might be good practice for Ivypaw," he explained.

"Sure," Hollyleaf mewed. "Let me just go fetch Briarpaw."

There was no need. Briarpaw was already racing across the clearing, her eyes glowing. "Did I hear you say we're going hunting?"

"Yes, we are." Hollyleaf waved her tail in the direction of Mousewhisker and Ivypaw. "With Ivypaw and…and…"

Hollyleaf's breath caught in her throat as a scent, not ThunderClan, but still familiar. Breezepelt was padding through the thorn tunnel.

_What is he _doing_ here? _Hollyleaf wondered as his eyes sought hers. Her question was answered when Onestar followed him, Barkface and Kestrelspots not far behind.

Firestar bounded down the Highledge to met the WindClan cats. "Onestar? What are you doing here?" His voice was guarded.

Onestar met the other leader's gaze steadily. "I've come to discuss peace, Firestar, if you wish it."

Firestar's confusion was evident. "W-What?"

"Peace, Firestar. My Clan is tired of constant war with ThunderClan."

"Umm…alright then. Come with me to my den. Brambleclaw! Jayfeather!" he called. "Come with us."

Hollyleaf watched, curious, as Onestar bounded up the Highledge as if he'd done it hundreds of times before. Breezepelt blinked warmly at her before following his leader.

Time dragged on. No cat even seemed to breathe. Finally there was a flash of fiery fur and Firestar padded out to face his Clan. "Onestar and I have come to an agreement," he yowled, "there will be no trespassing on each other's territory, and no more attacks on WindClan warriors. The war is officially at an end."

For a heartbeat every cat was silent. Then the cheering erupted. Hollyleaf laughed in pure relief. She didn't want to face Breezepelt in battle again. And now she wouldn't have to. She shot a glance at the black tom. He was grinning widely. Hollyleaf's heart beat a bit faster. _He's so beautiful…I wish our love wasn't forbidden. _

He leaped down from the Highledge, nodding to Hollyleaf as he went. He dissapeared through the thorn barrier and was gone.

Mousewhisker nudged Hollyleaf. "Weren't we going hunting?"

"Oh, yeah. Sorry."

"May we join you?" Squirrelflight inquired, padded up with Brambleclaw beside her.

"Of course," Hollyleaf purred to her parents.

The party set off. "Where are we heading?" Ivypaw asked her mentor.

"Hollyleaf?" Mousewhisker asked.

She paused, debating. "The lake," she decided.

They walked in silence. As they neared the lake, Ivypaw suddenly gave a squeal of delight and raced down to the water's edge.

"Come back!" Mousewhisker yowled.

Ivypaw froze, looking back at him. "But I want to go swimming!" she protested.

"That water's probably freezing," Squirrelflight commented, padding down to the shore. Hollyleaf and the others followed.

"Look," Briarpaw commented, "there's driftwood in the lake."

"There's always driftwood in the lake," Hollyleaf replied, but she casted a glance towards it anyway.

Her heart skipped a beat. That sodden lump of driftwood was _moving_!

"That's a _kit_!" she yowled, panic suddenly striking. Without thinking much about it, she leaped into the frigid water.

Vaguely aware of Squirrelflight and Mousewhisker behind her, she swam strongly towards the young kit.

After what seemed like moons, Hollyleaf reached him. She grabbed him roughly by the scruff. He didn't struggle against her. He was too dazed and too tired.

Hollyleaf was getting tired, too. She could feel exhaustion dragging at her limbs, and her vision was rapidly growing black.

"Take him!" she screamed at Squirrelflight before falling into unconsciousness.


	16. A Startling Discovery

**Disclaimer: I do not own Warriors (even though I dream) and (sadly) probably never will. **

Darkness.

Warmth.

Soft voices.

Hollyleaf strained to hear.

"Will she be okay?" an oh-so-familiar voice was asking.

"Probably," another familiar voice replied. "But that water was awfully cold."

"And the kit?"

"I'm not sure yet…"

And the blackness consumed her once more.

The next time Hollyleaf awoke, it was dawn. She got up and stretched, careful not to disturb the warm pelt beside hers. Her muscles ached from disuse.

She turned her head to look at the cat beside her. She recognized the gray and white pelt of Mousewhisker.

No sooner had she come to this conclusion that Mousewhisker was awake and on his paws, his blue eyes warm. "You're awake," he purred, rubbing his muzzle against hers.

"I'm awake," she replied, leaning into him. "Thank you for staying with me."

"It was nothing." But the glow in his eyes said differently.

Jayfeather padded up. "It's about time you were awake."

"Why?" Hollyleaf asked with a slight edge of panic. "How long was I unconscious?"

"Three moonrises."

Hollyleaf ignored this. "And the kit? How is he?"

"He's fine now. But he was weak. He's barely six moons old. Icestorm has been taking care of him. His name is Cougarkit."

"May I go see him?" Jayfeather nodded.

The camp was silent as she padded across the clearing towards the nursery. Icestorm was sleeping, her kits beside her. In the pile of gold-and-white fluff there was another shape, slightly bigger than the others, dark orange tabby with black, white, and tan stripes. "He's gorgeous," she breathed.

Icestorm woke up. "Come to see Cougarkit?" she asked. She bent her head to nudge the small bundle. "Wake up, precious," she murmured.

Cougarkit raised his head sleepily, blinking open clear blue eyes and gazing at Hollyleaf. "Are you Hollyleaf?" he squeaked.

"Yes, I am," she meowed as the fishy tang of RiverClan scent hit her nose.

"Thank you for saving me," he mewed. "Have you come to take me home? The fresh-kill here tastes horrible! I'd much prefer a tasty fish. And…I miss my mother and sisters." He looked at his paws.

"Who is your mother, little one?"

Cougarkit's reply was cut off when Sunkit woke up and pounced on him. Soon the two kits were rolling over in a play-fight. "Hey, be careful," Icestorm chided gently. "If you want to play like that, go outside. You'll wake Cinderheart and Daisy." The two she-cats were curled up together, still asleep.

"Can we really, Momma?" Sunkit asked, staring with wide eyes at his mother.

"As long as you promise not to get under any cat's paws!" Sunkit and Cougarkit scampered away towards the nursery exit.

"Thank you for looking after him," Hollyleaf purred when they were gone.

Icestorm looked at her kits fondly. "I could never refuse a kit in need."

The sun was poking a wary eye above the horizon when Hollyleaf emerged. Sunkit and Cougarkit were playing near the warriors den. Spiderleg emerged and said something to them sternly. They nodded and ran. "Hollyleaf?" Jayfeather called from outside the medicine den, Lionblaze beside him. "Come here for a moment?"

Hollyleaf walked over to her littermates. "Yes?"

"We've got some news," Lionblaze mewed carefully.

"So? Spit it out!"

"This may come as a shock," Jayfeather cautioned.

"Jayfeather! Lionblaze! Tell me already!"

"Hollyleaf, you're expecting kits."

**Don't kill me, please! Yes, I know it was short but it was for plot development! PLOT DEVELOPMENT!!!!!!! Don't kill me! **

**P.S: Hey guys! Sorry about this but I'm going to be going camping and can't work on my stories! T.T **


	17. Going Home

**Disclaimer: *sobs* Nope, don't own it…not yet….**

**Beta's Note: Its about 1:30 at night, I'm sick and I get extremely irritable when I get tired. Well, Vamps-chan told me that some of you were "yelling". Well, here's a message to you "yellers". This is MY fault that this is late because I accidentally deleted the email she sent me with it, so it wasn't HER fault. So DO NOT be yelling at Vamps-chan for something that's my fault. Think of this as sort of a suspended cliff hanger! Oh and, Jimmy the book lover? You come find her, she's got two best friends that'll hunt you down, not to be scary.**

"No," Hollyleaf mewed stubbornly, "I want to do this by myself."

The time had come for Cougarkit to be taken home to RiverClan. The kit had recovered all his strength, and Firestar and Jayfeather had decided that there was no point in keeping him here any longer.

"Are you sure?" Mousewhisker asked worryingly. "Our kits—"

"Our kits will be fine," Hollyleaf meowed firmly. The news that she was expecting kits had spread like wildfire throughout the camp. She felt a bit guilty about letting the Clan believe that Mousewhisker was the father. Only she, Lionblaze, and Jayfeather knew who the real father was. Breezepelt. But Mousewhisker didn't seem to mind. He was as delighted as every other cat in ThunderClan.

Mousewhisker finally relented. "Okay then."

Hollyleaf smiled triumphantly and padded to the nursery, where Lionblaze and Icestorm were watching their kits play in the snowdrifts. "Cougarkit," she called, "come with me."

"Am I going home yet?" he asked eagerly.

"Yes, I'm taking you home."

"Yay!" He bounced up and down on his paws.

"You're leaving?" Sunkit asked, disappointed.

"Yes," he said, touching his nose to the other kit's ear. "But I gotta go home and see my own Mama and Father and sisters. And I'll see you at Gatherings when I'm an apprentice."

"But that's not for another four stinking moons!" Sunkit wailed.

Lionblaze cuffed his son over the ear. "Sunkit!" he said sternly. "You should be grateful that Firestar is going to make you an apprentice at all, the way you've been acting lately."

Icestorm's eyes gleamed with sorrow as she gave Cougarkit a tender caress. "Good-bye, my precious," she murmured. "I'll miss you."

"I'll miss you, too, Icestorm," Cougarkit replied. Hollyleaf was shocked to see how sad she was to see him go. _It's almost like he's her own kit…._

"Cougarkit!" Hollyleaf called, "are you coming or not?"

"Coming, Hollyleaf!" he scampered to her side.

Firestar stood beside her. "I'm sending a patrol with you to the border," he mewed, "just to be safe."

"Okay. Who?" Her question was answered as Rosefrost, Cloudtail, and Hazeltail emerged from the warriors den and walked over to her. The patrol began to leave.

"Travel safely!" Firestar called after them.

They walked in silence through the snow-bound forest. "Well, here we are," Cloudtail meowed finally as they reached the border. "This is where we leave you."

Hollyleaf nodded good-bye to her Clanmates, picked up Cougarkit by his scruff, and began to wade across the stream. "I can swim!" he protested, struggling and squirming.

"I know, but I'm not going to risk you getting swept out to the lake again," Hollyleaf muttered through a mouthful of fur. "So it's either let me carry you or drown. You're choice." Cougarkit stopped struggling.

Finally they reached the other side. Hollyleaf set Cougarkit down and shook the water out of her fur. "Ech!" she complained. "I'll never know how RiverClan cats do it." Cougarkit looked smug as the water rolled off his sleek pelt. "Come on," Hollyleaf growled. "We need to get going or a WindClan patrol will catch us." She set off across the moor, the kit hard on her heels.

They managed to get about half-way across the moor before they were spotted. Hollyleaf saw them first, several small shapes bobbing across the moor towards them. "A WindClan patrol! Run!" Hollyleaf screeched. She seized Cougarkit by his scruff and sprinted away.

She was fast, but no match for the long-limbed WindClan warriors. Within heartbeats she was surrounded by six snarling warriors. Hollyleaf recognized Emberfoot, Weaselfur, Crowfeather, Harespring, a smaller cat—an apprentice, she guessed—and _Breezepelt_! The black tom looked horrified.

"Hollyleaf!" Crowfeather spat. "How dare you trespass on our territory?"

"And so soon after we agreed on peace," jeered the apprentice.

Crowfeather flicked her over the ear. "Hush, Amberpaw," he scolded.

"Y-You d-d-don't understand," she stammered. "This kit"--she prodded Cougarkit with a paw—"fell into the lake a few sunrises ago. I rescued him. He's been staying in our camp while he recovered his strength. I was returning him to his Clan."

Emberfoot snorted. "You expect us to believe _that_? How are we supposed to know you didn't _steal _him?"

Breezepelt rolled his eyes. "Emberfoot, if she stole this kit do you _honestly_ think she'd be heading back to _RiverClan _territory?"

Emberfoot snarled at him.

"Anyway," Breezepelt continued as if he hadn't noticed, "she's no threat."

"How do you know that?"

Breezepelt glared at him. "I. Am. The. Clan. Deputy." he growled. "And I say she's no threat."

Emberfoot snorted.

"If it makes you feel any better, Emberfoot, I'll escort her to the border," Breezepelt meowed.

Crowfeather nodded at his son. "You do that. I'll take this lot," he gestured to the others, "back to camp."

"Thank you." Breezepelt turned his back on his Clanmates and began to walk towards the RiverClan border. Legs shaky with relief, Hollyleaf followed, Cougarkit sticking close to her paws.

When they were out of sight of the patrol, Breezepelt whirled on her. "Are you _crazy_?" he spat. "What in the name of _StarClan _were you thinking, trespassing on our territory? I don't care if StarClan themselves told you to do it, it was still a _mouse-brained idea_!"

Hollyleaf shrank back from the anger and distress in his eyes. She hated to cause him this much pain. "I-I'm so sorry," she whispered. "I didn't think any cat would catch us—"

She was cut off when Breezepelt pressed his muzzle against hers. "I was so scared," he admitted, his voice shaking. "I honestly thought they were going to kill you."

Hollyleaf closed her eyes, letting his scent flood all her senses. She had never loved him more than she did this moment. She wanted him, needed him, and he needed her too. It was the most wonderful feeling in the world. But then reality struck. They couldn't be together. Heart crushing. Tear jerking. "I-I must go," she whispered, tearing herself away from him. "Good-bye, my love." But as he padded away, Hollyleaf couldn't help but feel that a piece of herself had gone with him.

They reached the RiverClan border after a few more minute's walking. "I'm home!" Cougarkit exulted.

Hollyleaf sat down in the shade of a bush. "Now we wait."

"What?" Cougarkit complained. "Why?"

"Because I don't want to be on your territory without a patrol knowing." She clamped a paw firmly on his tail. "We wait."

Cougarkit looked sullen but didn't argue. They didn't have long to wait. In a heartbeat she smelled fresh RiverClan scent on the breeze. "What do you smell, Mallowpaw?" a warrior's voice asked.

Another voice, younger by the sound of it, replied, "ThunderClan! I can smell ThunderClan, Mistyfoot!"

The first voice sighed. "Their scent is blowing from across the lake, Mallowpaw. Sniff again."

"But it's fresh!"

"No it's not."

Hollyleaf stepped out of the shadows. "She's right."

The look on Mistyfoot's face was priceless. "Hollyleaf? What are you doing here?"

"I've come to return something to you. Come here, Cougarkit."

As the kit bounced out behind her, Mistyfoot looked even more shocked, if that was possible. "Cougarkit?! Where have you been?"

"I fished him out of the lake," Hollyleaf replied. "He's been staying at our camp while he recovered his strength."

"Well, thank you then, Hollyleaf," mewed Mistyfoot, "you can head back to your own territory now, and I'll take Cougarkit home." Hollyleaf glared at her. "Or…you can come with us, if you like," she added hastily.

"Thank you." Hollyleaf let Mistyfoot lead her to their camp. Finally they reached the small island that was their home. "Here we are," Mistyfoot announced. "Welcome."

Cats stared at Hollyleaf from the bank, whispering amongst themselves. Hollyleaf casted a glance towards what she assumed was the medicine den. Willowshine emerged and waved her tail in welcome. Hollyleaf returned the greeting.

"Dapplenose!" called Mistyfoot.

Hollyleaf watched as the tortoishell she-cat slipped out from a thick tangle of brambles. She surveyed Hollyleaf with eyes dull with grief.

"Mama!" cried Cougarkit.

Dapplenose's eyes lit up. "Cougarkit!" she cried, racing to him. Her purr was audible as she licked him fiercely. "My baby!"

Two other kit scrambled out of the nursery, one white and the other black and silver. "Cougarkit!" one cried.

"You're back!" squeaked the other.

"Softkit! Flashkit!" Cougarkit cried. "How have you been?"

"We missed you!" the white kit mewed.

"Lots," the other added.

Reedwhisker, purring loudly, joined Dapplenose as she licked her son. "Thank you," he meowed quietly to Hollyleaf, "for my son."

"You're quite welcome," Hollyleaf purred.

Dapplenose finally looked up, her eyes glowing. "How did you find him?" she asked.

"I fished him out of the lake." Hollyleaf decided it was best not to mention how she had almost drowned herself in the process.

"I woke up one morning and he was gone!" Dapplenose meowed. "We searched the whole camp and territory for him, but he was nowhere to be found! Where did you go?" she asked the kit.

"I wanted to go outside," Cougarkit admitted quietly. "I fell into the stream." Hollyleaf noticed for the first time the small stream that ran the length of the camp, passing just outside the nursery.

"We figured as much," Reedwhisker meowed.

"You naughty kit!" Dapplenose mewed. "How many times do I have to tell you that _you don't go outside without me knowing. _You had me so scared."

"I'm sorry Mama."

"All's well that end's well," Leopardstar mewed, taking Hollyleaf by surprise. "Thank you for rescuing Cougarkit and taking him home, but I think it's time you got back to your own territory, Hollyleaf."

Hollyleaf bowed her head to the RiverClan leader and turned to leave. "Wait!" Cougarkit yowled. She turned her head to see that he was running towards her. He put his paws on her chest and looked her in the eyes. "Thanks again, Hollyleaf. I'll miss you."

"I'll miss you too, Cougarkit," she mewed through the lump rising in her throat. "Now, you become the best warrior you can, do you hear me? If I hear that you're slacking off in your training—and if you do I'm sure your mother will tell me—" she looked back at Dapplenose, who nodded, "You never know what I might just do."

"I'll be the best warrior the forest has ever _seen_!" he vowed.

"That's the spirit." Hollyleaf murmured. "Good-bye, little one."

She started away. She was glad that Cougarkit was home where he belonged. And she had her own kits to worry about now. Strange, how she had been so horrified when she had first heard the news, but now the little lives inside her were the most precious things in the world.

**Awww a happy ending! To the chapter, I mean, not the story. Oh no, we got a whiles to go there. And it's long! Six pages without doublespaces, twelve pages with!! Woo! **

**Cuz I'm bored I'll add this: **

**Next chapter: A Gathering**


	18. Telling Him

**Welcome back meh faithful readers! Wow…54 reviews...so far…O.o *faints* Awesomeness! Guess that just means that I'll have to update more often! :D**

The full moon shone far overhead. Hollyleaf sat outside the nursery, Cinderheart beside her. Firestar had argued that the she not come to the Gathering tonight, but Hollyleaf was just as insistent. She wanted to come tonight.

Now she was waiting for Firestar to make his appearance. A flash of ginger, washed silver in the moonlight, and he was bounding down the rocky ledge. "Ready to go?" he asked the gathered patrol.

Brambleclaw nodded. The other cats—Berrynose, Lionblaze, Rosefrost, Toadleap, Sandstorm, Brackenfur, Graystripe, Millie, Jayfeather, Whitewing, her kits Ivypaw and Dovepaw, and Spiderleg—murmured agreement. Hollyleaf went to join them.

"I'll be waiting for a full report!" Cinderheart called after her.

Hollyleaf looked over her shoulder and blinked fondly at her friend before following the others out the thorn barrier.

Their journey was silent. Hollyleaf padded close to Lionblaze to shield herself from the cold wind. Lionblaze didn't seem to mind.

They reached the tree-bridge without much trouble. Firestar went first, closely followed by Sandstorm and Brackenfur. Hollyleaf leaped nimbly up after her former mentor, and she had to dig her claws into the slippery bark to stay upright. She hissed in irritation.

"Something wrong?" Lionblaze asked as he appeared beside her. She didn't reply, only concentrated on not falling into the cold water.

She reached the other side with a tremor of relief. "Ready to go?" asked Firestar, and they pushed their way through the brambles and into the clearing.

They had been the third Clan to arrive. Blackstar and Mistyfoot were chatting at the base of the Great Oak. Jayfeather veered away to join the other medicine cats huddled beneath a bush. Hollyleaf tasted the air for a trace of WindClan scent, but there was none.

Dapplenose was approaching her, a young apprentice at her side. Cougarkit!

"Cougarkit!" she purred in welcome.

He puffed out his chest. "I'm Cougar_paw _now."

Hollyleaf purred with delight. "Congratulations!"

"He's been coming along great in his training," Dapplenose meowed, her eyes glowing with pride. "Rippletail is his mentor."

"Is he doing a good job so far?"

Cougarpaw opened his mouth to reply, but was cut off by the arrival of the WindClan cats. Hollyleaf searched the throng for Breezepelt's black pelt, and was relieved when she spotted it.

She took a step towards him, but before she could go any farther she was interrupted by Firestar's yowl. "Let all the Clans gather beneath StarClan!"

Growling under her breath, Hollyleaf sat down beside Ivytail, a ShadowClan warrior.

Firestar began. "StarClan has been very good to us this past moon," he started, "we have two new warriors, Rosefrost and Toadleap. Whitewing's kits have also become apprentices, and are now Dovepaw and Ivypaw." He waited for the cheering to die down. "Kits will be born to both Cinderheart and Hollyleaf in the next two moons."

Hollyleaf stifled a gasp of surprise. She hadn't thought that Firestar would mention that at the Gathering! She could see Breezepelt staring at her in shock, and she blushed hot under her fur. "It grieves me to report the deaths of two of our cats," Firestar continued, making her jump. "Birchfall has gone to join StarClan, and so has Leafpool, our medicine cat."

A murmur of grief had arisen from the cats at the mention of Birchfall's death, but hardly a sound for Leafpool's. No, this wouldn't be news, Hollyleaf figured, Jayfeather would've had to have told the other medicine cats when he went to the Moonpool, and they would've told their Clanmates. "Other than that, prey is running well dispite the cold weather," Firestar finished.

Onestar stepped forward. "Whitetail has had a litter of four healthy kits, Plumekit, Falconkit, Stingkit, and Dreamkit!"

"Well done, Whitetail!" called Millie from the front of the crowd, clearly audible through the cheers.

Onestar's whiskers twitched. "That is all," he concluded.

Mistyfoot spoke next. "Cats of all Clans, RiverClan brings sad news. Leopardstar, our leader, has gone to join StarClan." The cats were silent. "I have gone to the Moonstone to receive my nine lives, and I am now Mistystar. Blackclaw is my deputy."

"Mistystar!" The chant arose. "Mistystar! Mistystar!"

_Was she _blushing_?_ Hollyleaf wondered.

"But there is other news," Mistystar continued, "RiverClan brings three new apprentices to this Gathering, Softpaw, Flashpaw, and Cougarpaw!"

Hollyleaf could see Cougarpaw duck his head, embarrassed. His sisters, Softpaw and Flashpaw, raised their chins proudly.

"RiverClan also owes a debt to the ThunderClan warrior Hollyleaf," Mistystar yowled. "She rescued one of our kits when he fell into the lake."

"Hollyleaf! Hollyleaf!" Hollyleaf blushed hotter under fur. She wished that a hole could open up in the ground and swallow her up.

Blackstar started to speak, but Hollyleaf wasn't listening. She was distracted by the black tom that had suddenly appeared beside her. "We need to talk," Breezepelt growled.

"Alright, but not here. Follow me." She walked quickly through the undergrowth to the edge of the island, out of earshot and eyesight of any other cat.

"So…" Breezepelt sat down and stared at her expectantly.

"So…what?"

"You're having kits?"

Hollyleaf sighed. "Yes, I am, and they're yours."

"I pretty much guessed that."

They were silent for a moment. "I'm sorry," Hollyleaf whispered.

Breezepelt blinked at her, shocked. "What's there to be sorry for?"

"I'm expecting kits! This goes against the warrior code! And you being Clan deputy…"

Breezepelt smiled. "That doesn't matter," he murmured, "you and I are in love. You're going to have our kits. That's all that matters right now. And don't worry," he added, "they'll be the most beautiful kits in the whole forest."

"Of course," Hollyleaf replied, "with you as their father, how could they not?"

He purred happily. Hollyleaf echoed him. As she stared into his eyes, she almost believed that everything would turn out alright.

Almost.

**Hey everyone! Press that pretty green button and stay tuned! **

**Next Chapter: A Birth**


	19. A Birth

**Hey everyone!! As I promised…this chapter is a birth! Woooo!!!**

**I've been dying to say this….**

**I killed Leafpool cuz she's such a priss and I hate her! (And yes, I purposely made her die a common death. :D) I have nothing against Birchfall it's just that I figured that someone needed to die and he was the first cat that came to mind for some reason.**

**And now that I'm done with that on with the tale! :D**

Hollyleaf was jarred from her nap by a wail of pain. Her head shot up, fearing the worst.

Cinderheart was writhing in her nest, letting out moans of pain. Icestorm had taken her kits outside. Daisy was comforting Cinderheart with soft words.

Hollyleaf got up and padded anxiously towards her friend. "Is she okay?" she asked Daisy.

Daisy didn't look up. "She'll be fine," she mewed firmly. "Where's Jayfeather?"

"Here," he meowed, making Hollyleaf jump.

"StarClan help me!" Cinderheart groaned. "It hurts!"

"I know," Daisy purred. "But you'll be fine, trust me."

Berrynose barged in. "Cinderheart!"

"She'll be okay," Hollyleaf meowed. "Out! Go! Shoo! Now!" She shouldered Berrynose out of the nursery, her swollen belly making it a bit difficult.

Cinderheart raised her head. "Was that Berrynose?" she asked weakly.

Hollyleaf padded back to her friend. "Yes, but don't worry. He's outside with Icestorm now."

Cinderheart rested her head back on her nest. "Good," she sighed.

Hollyleaf suddenly felt like she wasn't needed here. She slipped through the nursery exit.

Berrynose was pacing outside the nursery. Icestorm was staring at him, irritated. "_Lionblaze_ wasn't _that _concerned when I had _my _kits," Hollyleaf heard her mutter as she passed. Then, louder, "Calm down, Berrynose. Queens have been having kits since the beginning. Jayfeather knows what to do."

Berrynose didn't look up from his pacing. "Something will go wrong, I know it," he muttered.

"_Nothing _will go wrong!" Icestorm hissed. Hollyleaf grinned.

"Hey Hollyleaf!" Briarpaw chirped, coming to sit beside her. Spiderleg had taken over as her mentor since Hollyleaf was close to having her kits.

"How's the training going?" Hollyleaf asked her.

"Fine, but I miss you."

"I miss you too," Hollyleaf replied honestly. "Hey," she added, shaking the thorns out of her pelt, "do you want to go hunting? It will give me a chance to see how you've been coming along."

"Spiderleg says I'll be a warrior soon," she boasted.

"I don't doubt it," Hollyleaf purred.

To be out in the forest again, to be doing something other than laying around gossiping with Daisy and Cinderheart, to be doing something that was actually _useful_…it felt wonderful. She hadn't realized how much she had yearned to be out in the forest, to feel the ground under her pads, to feel the rush of adrenaline as she bit into a warm piece of prey.

Hollyleaf sat up, her catch dangling from her jaws. "That was awesome, Hollyleaf!" Briarpaw meowed. Hollyleaf flicked her ears in thanks.

She set down her catch. "Okay, I can smell mouse," she reported. "Your turn, Briarpaw."

Briarpaw dropped smoothly into a perfect hunter's crouch. She opened her mouth slightly to pinpoint the location of her prey. Angling her ears towards it, she began to creep lightly over the frosty ground.

_She's come a long way, _Hollyleaf noted. _Spiderleg was right. It can't be long before she becomes a warrior. _

"Ta-da!" Briarpaw sang out, tossing the dead body of the mouse at Hollyleaf's paws.

Hollyleaf bent her head to sniff the still-warm prey. "Good job," she purred. "Hardly a scratch on it."

"Thanks Hollyleaf!" Briarpaw meowed, delighted with her praise.

After catching another mouse and a shrew, Hollyleaf was getting tired. "Ready to head back to camp?" she asked her apprentice.

Briarpaw shrugged. "Ready when you are."

"But are _you _ready?" Hollyleaf pressed.

"Not really."

"Then you can stay out a bit longer. I'll take this lot back to camp." She flicked her tail to the small pile of prey they had caught.

"Sure Hollyleaf. Take care."

"And you." She waited until Briarpaw's brown pelt had dissapeared into the snow before picking up the prey and heading back to camp.

When she got back to camp, all was quiet. Cautiously she set her prey down on the pile and pushed her way into the nursery.

Cinderheart was sitting up in her nest, gazing at the three tiny bundles huddled close to her belly. Berrynose sat beside her, his eyes gleaming at he looked proudly at his kits. One was cream-colored like him, one was a pretty silver tabby, and one was golden tabby, like Cinderheart's father, Brackenfur. _And Honeyfern. _

"They're beautiful," Hollyleaf murmured. "What have you named them?"

Cinderheart's blue eyes shone. "This is Blizzardkit," she murmured, touching the cream-colored tom with the tip of her tail. "The silver tabby is Foamkit." She paused. "And the other she-kit is Honeykit."

"Those are beautiful," Hollyleaf purred. "Blizzardkit looks just like you, Berrynose."

"Doesn't he?" Berrynose replied, not taking his eyes of his mate and his kits.

"You've given three healthy kits to the Clan," Daisy meowed. "Congratulations, Cinderheart. Honeyfern would've so happy for you both."

Berrynose's eyes darkened with grief. "Yes, she would've," he whispered.

Cinderheart touched her nose to his. "She's with StarClan now," she comforted him. "And she was my sister, don't forget. I miss her too."

Berrynose didn't reply.

Sorreltail slid through the nursery entrance. "Cinderheart," she murmured, rubbing her muzzle against her's, "I'm so proud of you."

"Thank you," they both replied.

"It seems like only yesterday we were suckling them, doesn't it?" Daisy sighed to Sorreltail. "Time flies."

"It does," Sorreltail agrees.

"Mother!" Berrynose and Cinderheart cried together.

Hollyleaf purred with amusement and settled down in her own nest. She felt a small stirring in her belly. _Hey there, _she thought. The kit stirred again, as if in response to her words. _You'll be strong and healthy, _she promised, _able to climb the tallest trees and be the swiftest cats in the forest. And you'll be beautiful too, a thousand times more beautiful than Cinderheart's kits, more beautiful than Breezepelt, if that's possible. _The kit was still.

Hollyleaf stretched. These were thoughts for another day. Right now all she wanted to do was sleep.

***coughcough* Well now that I've gotten that out of my system, review and please feel free to yell! :D**


	20. Love

**Hey everyone and welcome back to the latest installment in this story! :D Before we start I just wanted to say this…**

***clears throat and grabs mysterious piece of paper* *monotone*In all honesty, I want to say that I never would have suspected that this story would be as popular as it is. I thought that maybe two reviews…..and I just got bored….*throws paper aside* Enough with this crap! On with the tale! **

**Some backround info: **

**I was thinking the other day and realized, that throughout this entire story, I had started with HollyXBreeze being together. Then I got to wondering, how did they meet? How did they fall in love? So I grabbed my pen and started writing! :D**

**Right, now I need an opening line…**

**It was a dark and stormy night…no that's too cliché. Hmm...how about this? The sun was shining, the delighted laughter of Whitewing's kits echoing through the clearing…AHH!! TOO HAPPY!!!! HONESTLY THIS IS SUPPOSED TO BE DRAMATIC!!!!!! T.T**

**Right…I'm pretty sure I've got it now…**

The mouse at Hollyleaf's paws struggled madly as it tried to escape the confines of her claws. She hooked a claw in its fur and tossed it upward lazily. The mouse squealed as it landed on a rock and instantaneously scrambled to its tiny paws and whirled about, trying to find a way out. Hollyleaf gathered her strength and pounced, landing a blow to the creature's backbone. It let out one final squeal and went limp.

_Respect your prey. It gives you life. Be grateful. _The lesson, repeated by Squirrelflight and Brackenfur more times than she could count, ran through her mind as she bent her head to pick up the still-warm body. She felt the tiniest twinge of guilt. _So what? I'm bored. _

"Nice catch!" a familiar voice called.

Hollyleaf put down her mouse and was about to call back, but then she recognized the black pelt and glowing yellow eyes. "Oh, it's you."

Breezepelt sat down and waved his tail idly, watching her closely. "Yes, it's me. Are you disappointed?"

Much against her will, an amused purr rose in her throat. "Do you really want me to answer that?"

"Would you?"

Hollyleaf opened her mouth, starting to say 'yes', but was surprised when the word wouldn't come. "Umm…I'm not sure."

"Nice answer."

"I'd like to see you think of anything better."

"How about…of course I'm not because I love you, Breezepelt?"

Taken aback, Hollyleaf didn't know what to say. "What would give you that idea?"

Breezepelt snorted. "I was _kidding._"

"Oh. Of course you were." Hollyleaf mentally smacked herself for thinking that he was being serious.

Breezepelt stretched, and Hollyleaf couldn't help but notice the way his muscles rippled smoothly under his shiny black pelt…

_Stop it, _she scolded herself. _Okay, first of all you _can't _be in love because you want to become leader, remember? And this is _Breezepelt, _for StarClan's sake! The most annoying cat in all of the Clans! He's from _WindClan. _You're from _ThunderClan. _Get over yourself. _

"See you Hollyleaf!" Breezepelt waved his tail and trotted away.

"Bye," she whispered.

Hollyleaf scrambled to her paws, letting out a gasp. For one heart-stopping moment, her entire world was blood-red and she couldn't breathe. Then her breathing steadied and she could see clearly again.

"Hollyleaf? Are you okay?" Lionblaze's drowsy voice came from beside her.

"Yes," she breathed. "Just...just a nightmare."

Lionblaze snorted and rolled over onto his other side. "Then go back to sleep or leave. _Some _of us have been patrolling all night."

"Sorry," she apologized, heading towards the den exit.

Once she was outside in the warm air, Hollyleaf stretched out on her back, enjoying the feel of the cool grass against her pelt. She could hear the faint stirrings of Millie's kits in the nursery. Jayfeather was sorting herbs in the medicine den. Squirrelflight and Whitewing padded into camp, closely followed by their apprentices, Foxpaw and Icepaw. Foxpaw and Icepaw both had their jaws full of prey. _It can't be long until they're made warriors, _Hollyleaf thought as Whitewing headed towards the nursery and Foxpaw and Icepaw to their den. She was startled by the faint _thump _of a starling as it was dropped beside her. "Are you hungry?" Squirrelflight asked softly.

"Oh." Hollyleaf stared up at her. "Yes, I am. Thank you, mother."

"You're welcome." Squirrelflight settled beside her and they both began to eat. "Anyway, Hollyleaf," Squirrelflight began when they had finished, "Sorry if I'm prying, but, are you alright? You've been awfully distant lately. Your father and I are beginning to worry."

"What? Oh, no, I'm fine." Desperate to get off this awkward subject, Hollyleaf thought wildly for something else to say. "Umm…F-Foxpaw s-s-seems to be getting along well in his training," she stammered.

"Hmm." Squirrelflight stared at her daughter steadily, as if she knew that Hollyleaf had avoided the subject on purpose. "Yes, he is."

"Will he be made a warrior soon?"

"Tomorrow, actually." Squirrelflight's voice was bursting with pride. Foxpaw was her first apprentice. "He's very excited."

"Does he still want to be called Foxcatcher?" Hollyleaf almost laughed at the ridiculous name. He hadn't caught a fox yet.

Squirrelflight smiled. "Yes, he does, and Icepaw still has her heart set on her warrior name."

Hollyleaf got up and stretched. "Thanks for the meal, Squirrelflight. I'm going hunting."

"See you later, Hollyleaf. Make sure you're back by sunset!"

"It's not even sunrise!" Hollyleaf laughed.

Squirrelflight sat up, her eyes twinkling. "So?"

Hollyleaf's hunting trip was successful, and she returned to camp before sunset with her jaws stuffed with prey. "Wow!" Blossomkit breathed as Hollyleaf passed. "That's a lot of prey!"

"Thank you," Hollyleaf mumbled through her mouthful. "And there's still more to fetch."

"Do you want some help?" Brambleclaw offered as she set her prey down on the pile.

"Help would be _great_," Hollyleaf mewed warmly.

"Foxpaw! Icepaw!" Brambleclaw called. "Come help Hollyleaf fetch the rest of her prey."

"But Brambleclaw!" Ferncloud sighed, sitting with Dustpelt and her kits outside the apprentice's den. "They have to be ready for their warrior ceremonies!"

Toadkit and Rosekit came bouncing out of the nursery. "Can we help?" Rosekit asked, her dark cream fur fluffed out with excitement.

"_Please_?" her brother begged. "We're almost old enough!"

"You're five moons old," Daisy mewed firmly. "_No. _There's a reason kits aren't allowed outside the hollow. Why, I remember when Jayfeather almost died when he fell over the edge of the hollow…"

"Did he _really_?" Rosekit breathed, staring up at her mother with wide eyes.

"Yes, he did. When he, Lionblaze and Hollyleaf were just about ready to be apprenticed, they decided to sneak out of camp and track down some fox cubs…"

"We were _kits_!" Hollyleaf protested her ears hot. "We didn't know any better."

Before she could get humiliated any further, she asked Poppyfrost and Cinderheart to help her collect her prey and practically ran out of the hollow.

The sky had just begun to darken when Firestar called the meeting. Reluctantly she abandoned her meal of two mice and a vole, which she had bolted down after her day-long hunting expedition.

She chose a spot between Brackenfur, her old mentor, and Brightheart. Foxpaw and Icepaw paraded out of the apprentice's den. Foxpaw's dark ginger pelt shone blood-red in the fading sunlight, and Icepaw's sky-blue eyes glowed with pride. Dustpelt and Ferncloud sat together close by. Both looked delighted to see their last litter become warriors at last.

Firestar began. "Squirrelflight, Whitewing, are you satisfied that these apprentices have completed their training to the best of their ability?" Both nodded somberly. And he began the age-old ceremony, speaking the words that had been repeated countless times over endless the seasons. "I, Firestar, leader of ThunderClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on these apprentices. They have trained hard to learn the ways of your noble code, and I commend them to you as warriors in their turn. Foxpaw, Icepaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend this Clan, even at the cost of your lives?"

"I do," Foxpaw mewed.

Icepaw echoed him, her voice full to bursting with excitement. "I do!"

"Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior names. Foxpaw, from this moment you shall be known as Foxcatcher."

"Yes!" Foxcatcher cried.

Firestar smiled. "StarClan honors your courage and your faithfulness, and welcome you as a full warrior of ThunderClan." Foxcatcher bowed his head and Firestar rested his muzzle on his shoulder.

Foxcatcher joined the rest of the Clan, coming to sit by Hollyleaf. "Congratulations!" she purred. He smiled at her.

"Icepaw, from this moment you shall be known as Icestorm." Icestorm grinned at her new name, but didn't say anything. "StarClan honors your devotion and your optimism, and welcome you as a full warrior of ThunderClan." Icestorm licked Firestar's shoulder and went to sit with her fellow warriors, ending up beside Lionblaze. She looked at him, her eyes shining with hope and joy. He returned her gaze, and there was something else in his eyes, something that looked a lot like…well, love.

"Foxcatcher! Icestorm!" the Clan chanted. Hollyleaf joined in, cheering at the top of her voice. This moment was so…perfect, so bursting with passion and joy and life and love. She felt as though nothing could ever rival this moment.

And for now, she was right.

The next night was a Gathering. Hollyleaf joined the group of cats milling around the den entrance, Foxcatcher and Icestorm among them. "Ready to go?" Firestar called.

"You know it!" Foxcatcher replied eagerly.

Firestar gave the young warrior a level stare. "Is _every _cat ready to leave?" he asked pointedly.

There was a low murmur of assent. Firestar waved his tail and plunged out the barrier.

"Race?" Hollyleaf called over her shoulder to Cinderheart before darting forward.

"No fair!" Cinderheart called, catching up. "You got a head start!"

"And I plan on keeping it to!" Hollyleaf laughed.

Both of them were laughing so hard they had trouble standing up when Firestar and their Clanmates reached the island. "Having fun?" Lionblaze called, leaping onto the tree-bridge. She frowned for a moment, pouncing lightly up beside him, then shouldered him so that he lost his balance and slid ungracefully into the water.

Hollyleaf was laughing when she reached the sandy bank. Lionblaze slunk out of the water and scowled at her. "Thanks a lot," he growled.

"You're welcome!" Lionblaze shook out his pelt as he passed her, spraying her with cold lake water. "Yeah, I guess I deserved that."

So far only RiverClan had arrived at the Gathering. Firestar headed to the Great Oak immediately. Brambleclaw struck up a conversation with Mistyfoot, the RiverClan deputy.

"Hollyleaf!" Hollyleaf turned to see a pretty silvery-gray she-cat running towards her.

"Hey Willowshine!" she purred warmly as the RiverClan medicine apprentice skidding to a stop. "Long time no see!"

"I know," Willowshine sighed. "Mothwing's kept me so busy lately! Graymist kitted yesterday, so I've been even busier than usual."

"Oh, I'm so happy for her!" Hollyleaf and the pretty gray warrior weren't exactly close, but she figured that she should show some consideration for the new mother.

"Ooh, look, WindClan's here!" meowed Willowshine.

WindClan came crashing through the undergrowth, Onestar's wiry brown form at the head. A pawstep behind was not Ashfoot, his deputy, but a tom she didn't recognize, with a pelt as dark as the cloudless sky and glowing yellow-ish eyes. Cinderheart, who was next to her, made a small appreciative sound in her throat. "Well _hello _there," she murmured as the new tom passed.

"You can say _that _again," Hollyleaf whispered back, her eyes never leaving the new cat.

Suddenly the tom turned his head to gaze at her, and she felt a shock of recognition.

This tom, by far the handsomest tom she had ever _seen,_ was _Breezepelt. _

_Woah. _It was a moment before she realized that she had breathed the word aloud.

"What?" Cinderheart asked.

"N-nothing." She was distracted from her thoughts by the arrival of Blackstar and ShadowClan, and the meeting began.

"I will speak first," Onestar announced. "It grieves me to announce that Ashfoot, my loyal deputy, has gone to join our warrior ancestors. She died a hero's death, saving one of our kits from the jaws of a fox. She will be honored forever in our memories." There was a murmur of grief from the gathered cats. "Breezepelt is my deputy now."

"Breezepelt!" cheered a black she-cat Hollyleaf recognized as Nightcloud, his mother. Crowfeather, who stood next to her, showed no sign that he had heard his mate. Breezepelt himself ducked his head, looking embarrassed. _Well that's different, _Hollyleaf thought. _You'd think that he'd be as proud as could be. Has he changed a lot since we saved the Tribe!_

She let her mind wander as Leopardstar spoke. But suddenly Breezepelt was beside her. "Hollyleaf, can I talk to you?" he asked quietly.

"Umm…sure, I guess." She followed him away from the Gathering and towards the edge of the island. When they were alone, she couldn't help but notice how he looked…scared. She couldn't think of why.

Breezepelt sighed. "This is starting to bug me."

"What. Are. You. Talking. About?"

He started to pace. "This is insane," he muttered to himself. "This is stupid. I can't stand it anymore."

"Breezepelt, what is up with you?"

He swung his head around to stare at her, and she was shocked at the emotion that flared in his eyes. "I've been having dreams lately. About you."

"Have you?" Whatever she had been expecting, this was far from it.

He sighed again. "Hollyleaf, I think…I think I'm in love with you."

"No…" she involuntarily took a step back. _No, this can't be happening! This can't be! This is wrong! He's wrong…but he's so right…._

He stepped towards her, his yellow eyes blazing with longing and despair. "I know you probably don't feel the same way, but…please say you care about me. Just a little bit. Do you?"

She took a deep breath, and her thoughts, which had been swarming around her head like bees, calmed down a little. "No."

"You can't ignore this!"

"I can," she said coolly, "and I will. I don't like you, and I never have. Good-bye now." She turned and walked away.

Hollyleaf's eyes flew open. She had been having that nightmare again, only now she remembered. Black fur tearing under thorn-sharp teeth, blood splattering moonlit ground, terror, not for herself, but for another, whose life was infinitely more precious than hers…

She started running, not caring who she woke up. She had to find Breezepelt, tell him she loved him…

The clouds swirled ominously overhead, a dangerous dark gray. As she came into sight of the WindClan border, she was delighted to see the beautiful black pelt that haunted her dreams…

"Breezepelt!" she cried, bursting through the ferns at the side of the stream. "I—"

_Oh. _

He wasn't alone. Weaselfur and Whitetail where with him. Both cats were staring at her like she was crazy.

"You what?" Breezepelt asked, sounding bored.

She blinked. "Uh…"

"Let's get this straight, Hollyleaf. I _don't _like you. We aren't even _friends. _You mean _nothing _to me." He paused, and when he spoke again his voice was as cold as ice. "_I _am loyal the warrior code, and to my Clan. Are _you_?" He turned his back on her. "Let's go," he told his Clanmates.

Hollyleaf didn't move. _What…what just happened?_

Thunder boomed overhead, and it began to pour. Within moments she was soaked to the skin, her pelt wet and slick against her body. But still she didn't move. She didn't care anymore, because the cat she loved had openly told others that he didn't care about her, had turned his back on her, had _walked away _without a backwards glance…

Nothing mattered except for that.

She was cold. Cold from her nose to the tip of her tail. Chilled to the bone. So cold she was numb.

And still she didn't move.

She just stared. Stared because she didn't understand what she was seeing, didn't believe it, didn't _want _to believe it, _refused _to believe it…

Suddenly there was pawsteps, soft and almost silent, barely distinguishable from the rain. A wet muzzle pressed against hers, a warm scent engulfing her. "I'm sorry," Breezepelt whispered.

"Did you mean it?" she asked softly, not looking up to meet his eyes.

"Of course not," he replied. "I love you."

She closed her eyes, and felt tears cascading down her face. "I love you too," she purred, finally looking up.

His eyes were warm, as yellow as sunlight. She felt as if she were drowning in their depths.

And she liked it. She liked it a lot.

Because if Breezepelt loved her, nothing else mattered.

Somehow, everything would be okay.

**Aww, how cliché. Oh well. It's done! And at 2644 words, it's my longest chapter yet! Oh yeah, this is your final chance to go vote on my poll! (And I actually mean it this time!) :D**

**Don't forget to press the pretty green button!**


	21. Kits!

**PEOPLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I HAVE AN ANNOUNCEMENT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!**

**Right…well I just wanted to say that I've just finished the Fourth Apprentice (about time too, I've been waiting for **_**forever**_**) and just wanted to say this…..**

**I AM NOT CHANGING ANYTHING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Not the names, not the pairings….**

**Nothing. **

**And if you don't like it, too bad. Live with it. I happen to **_**like **_**this story **_**just the way it is. **_**Besides, this is a fan**_**fiction. **_**Emphasis on the **_**fiction **_**part. **

**So ha. **

**Now, back to business! SOOOOOOOOO sorry about the long wait. But anyway, welcome back everyone! Now, after the last loooooooooooooong chapter I'm thinking I'll make this one short and sweet…**

**Just kidding!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing about Warriors or its characters. Happy now?**

Pain. Pain beyond imaginable. "StarClan save me!" Hollyleaf wailed. "I didn't realize it would hurt this much!"

"I know," Cinderheart murmured. "But it'll all be over soon."

Hollyleaf shut her eyes tight, trying to ignore the pain.

It didn't work. "Where's Jayfeather?" she panted when it eased a little bit. She bit her tongue to keep from screaming when it came back, stronger than ever.

"He'll be here soon," Daisy soothed. "He's just gathering some herbs."

"How long is it going to last?" Hollyleaf asked no one in particular.

"It depends…" Icestorm mewed doubtfully. "Sometimes it takes only a little while. But sometimes it can take more than a sunrise."

_Is this it?_ Hollyleaf wondered bitterly. _Is this the price to be paid for half-Clan kits? _

But she mustn't think that. These kits were _hers_, and they were worth fighting for.

She was distracted by a gray pelt beside her. "Here," Jayfeather mewed, pushing a mouthful of spiky-looking leaves towards her. "These will help."

She took them in her mouth, then almost spat them out again. "Ugh. What _was _that?" she growled after she swallowed.

"Rasberry leaves. They'll help the pain."

"They're not working."

"It takes a minute for it to work."

Hollyleaf sighed as the pain faded almost entirely. "Thank you."

Jayfeather put a paw on her belly. "All right, now when I tell you to, I want you to push." He paused. "Now!"

Hollyleaf did, and all at once there was a searing flash of pain. Brightly colored dots flashed before her eyes. She cried out.

"What's going on?" Cinderheart sounded panicky.

"I…I'm not sure. But something's gone wrong." His voice grew urgent. "Hollyleaf!"

She was falling, her vision growing dark. "Jayfeather?" she sounded far away, as if in a dream.

"What is it?"

"It doesn't hurt anymore. At all. Is that good?"

"No, no it isn't…"

"She's dying, isn't she?" Cinderheart cried. "Hollyleaf, no! Don't leave!"

"There's the first kit," Jayfeather mewed.

"Hmm?" Hollyleaf raised her head a little bit to gaze at her firstborn, and caught her breath.

She was…gorgeous. Amazingly so. Her pelt was as dark as her own, and still damp. Hollyleaf could see Breezepelt in her lithe form, and herself in the shape of her muzzle. In a word, she was…perfect.

_Moonkit._

Yes, that would be her name. She was as beautiful as the full moon in a cloudless sky, bringing light into Hollyleaf's life.

Everything was suddenly clear. She could see Daisy taking Moonkit gently in her mouth, guiding her away from Hollyleaf. She tried to protest, but was immediately overtaken by a wave a pain.

"And there's a second," Cinderheart purred.

This kit was just as beautiful as his sister, his pelt as dark as hers, with four white paws and a small stripe of white twisting down his muzzle.

_Eaglekit. _

With his mixed ThunderClan and WindClan blood, he would be as powerful and graceful as the eagles she had seen during her trip to the mountains. He would be as swift as the wind over the moors, just as fast as his father, if not faster.

And she was falling again.

And she...stopped.

Nothing hurt anymore. She sat up, blinking in the sudden moonlight. She felt like she knew this place, but she had never been here before. And she wasn't alone. Whispers…

_Can't be happening…_

_All wrong..._

_Not her time…_

_Not right…_

_Must go back..._

"Hello?" she called out. "Anyone there? Hello?"

_The prophecy…_

_Power of the stars…_

_Not right…_

_Must go back..._

"Hello?" she called again, wandering deeper into the strange-yet-familiar forest.

_No…_

_Go back…_

_You must…_

_No farther…_

_Go BACK!_

Terrified for some unknown reason, she broke into a run, losing track of where she was going.

"STOP!" Suddenly there was a glittering form facing her, the form of a powerful she-cat with ice-blue eyes.

"Bluestar!"

"Hollyleaf," she murmured sadly. "It was not your time."

"What do you mean?" Horrible realization striking, she looked down at her paws.

They were sparkling.

…***BEEP!* Hello, you've reached xxIceCrystalxx's answering machine. She is very sorry that she cannot come to the phone right now, but she is hiding from reviewers who she is sure are going to come after her with torches and pitchforks. *voice in backround* "HA! YOU'LL NEVER FIND ME NOW!" Please leave a message after the beep by pressing that shiny green button down there! *BEEP!***


	22. An Impossible Decision

**Thanks to all you **_**wonderful **_**reviewers for making me update faster since this has been sitting in my inbox for forever! **

**Hehe…*coughcough* Well your probably still upset over the last chapter…can't say I blame you…*backs away slowly* **

**Disclaimer: I don't own warriors so please…don't kill me…**

"Oh no…" she started to cry, glittering tears hitting the ground. "Oh Bluestar, am I _dead_?"

"Yes," Bluestar sighed.

"Oh my…" she sobbed, "Moonkit. Eaglekit. I'll never get to see you grow up."

"Follow me," Bluestar said gently.

Half-blinded by tears, she somehow managed to put one paw in front of the other to follow Bluestar.

"Here we are," Bluestar mewed. They were at a shining stretch of water. Cats of every color lurked in the shadows, every glowing eye round with grief.

"Is this the Moonpool?" Hollyleaf asked.

"Yes." Bluestar crouched at the water's edge. "Look," she meowed.

Unsure of what she was looking for, Hollyleaf peered into the water. She gasped as an image began to form. It was the image of a black she-cat, lying motionless. She realized that it was herself. Jayfeather stood beside her, his head bowed, slow tears seeping from his eyelids. Cinderheart was sobbing. Only Daisy seemed calm, tending to the four tiny bundles at her paws.

_Four_?

"There were _more_?" she gasped through her tears. The thought made her sob even harder.

"Yes," Bluestar mewed. "Three she-kits and a tom."

"I'll never see you become warriors…" she murmured. "I'm so sorry."

"You can watch over them from here," Bluestar comforted. "And one day they will join you."

"Hopefully not for many more moons," Hollyleaf sighed.

Bluestar didn't seem to hear her. "Yes…yes…" she meowed slowly. "But would it work?" She was silent for a moment. "Yes…yes…I think it might…"

"What are you talking about?" Hollyleaf growled impatiently.

Bluestar started pacing. "Yes, yes," she panted excitedly. "It would work out perfectly! But…" she swung her head around to stare at Hollyleaf.

"What would work?"

"If you could…would you go back?"

"In a heartbeat."

"There is a way."

"Tell me!"

"We could send you back…but another life has to be taken."

"No."

"Look." Bluestar waved her tail at the Moonpool. Hollyleaf peered over the edge. In the pool was an image of a sickly-looking apprentice, hardly breathing. As she watched, Littlecloud, the ShadowClan medicine cat padded over to her and pushed a bundle of leaves towards her. The apprentice didn't move. "Her name is Echopaw," mewed Bluestar. "She is fatally ill. She is going to die in a little under a moon."

"And you are telling me this because…"

"StarClan did not plan for her to get sick. She is meant to live for many more moons. We could transfer her life force to you. You would go back to life and watch your kits grow up…and she will join us. Will you do it?"

Hollyleaf's thoughts were in turmoil. A thousand different emotions swirled around her head, each fighting for supremacy. _I can't! But I want to! But I can't cut her life short! For your kits! Think of the grief you'll be causing her family…but if she's going to die anyway…_

"Yes," Hollyleaf heard herself say. "I'll do it."

Bluestar purred. "But of course we'll have to ask her first." She stared into the pool, and all at once an image formed ahead of them, the image of a young she-cat, with dusky colored fur. Echopaw.

Echopaw blinked once, then surveyed her surroundings, finally settling on the two starry cats before her. "This is StarClan, isn't it?" she asked softly. "Have you come to welcome me? Am I dead?"

"Not yet, young one. But we are going to ask a huge favor of you."

"I'm listening." Her voice sounded carefully guarded.

"You have the choice of giving up your life for hers," Bluestar waved her tail at Hollyleaf, "and dying yourself, or let her stay in StarClan."

Echopaw cast a horrified glance at Hollyleaf. "Why _her, _of all cats?"

"She has a great destiny."

"Will she be leader?"

"Yes."

"Am I?" Hollyleaf asked in shock. Neither cat seemed to hear her.

"I can't!" Echopaw cried. "But I will be joining StarClan in a while even if I don't, right?"

Bluestar sighed. "Yes. It is so sad to see a young life cut short."

Echopaw looked at her paws. "I'm so sorry…" she murmured. "Mother, Father...help me. Please."

There was a rustling in the bushes, and two cats stalked out of the lush undergrowth, closely followed by another, smaller she-cat. One was a powerfully built brownish-black tom with glowing yellow eyes. The other was a she-cat that looked exactly like Echopaw, but had green eyes, and her pelt streaked with gray. The smaller she-cat was cream-colored, with glittering amber eyes.

"Mother! Father!" Echopaw cried. "And Maplepaw! I didn't think you'd come!"

The cream-colored she-cat padded up to touch noses with Echopaw. "I'll always be there, dear sister," she murmured.

"Ravenheart. Falconcry," Bluestar greeted the two older cats. "You are welcome."

"As always, Bluestar," the she-cat—Falconcry, Hollyleaf figured—replied, her eyes never leaving her daughter.

Maplepaw backed away to join her mother and father. "Father…" Echopaw began hesistantly, raising her eyes to meet Ravenheart's, "Mother," she turned a pleading gaze on Falconcry, "Please help me. Tell me what to do."

Falconcry sighed and pressed her muzzle to her daughter's. "Dear Echopaw," she whispered, agonized, "we can't tell you. There is no right thing to do. This is your choice to make alone. Trust your judgment."

"But I'll be giving up so much," Echopaw sobbed, "There's so much left to do! Prey to be caught, battles to be fought…and Ratscar, he'll be so sad. And Redpaw…I love him so."

"They will grieve." Ravenheart joined his mate and twined his tail with his daughter's. "The whole of ShadowClan will. But Ratscar will have other apprentices, and Redpaw will find love again."

"But I don't want that!" Echopaw wailed. "I want him to love _me_!" She took several deep breathes and then looked at Bluestar again, her eyes distraught but dry. "But I will. Just one question…" She paused. "Will I be reincarnated again?"

"Of course," Bluestar replied.

"Right away?"

"If you wish it."

"Thank you." She gazed down into the Moonpool. "Ready?" she asked Hollyleaf.

"As I'll ever be." She padded up to stand beside Echopaw.

She stared down at their reflections. All at once Echopaw's fur began to sparkle, the glitter of moonlight appearing in her eyes. "That's it?" Echopaw asked. "It didn't hurt at all."

Bluestar started to reply, but Hollyleaf didn't hear. She was immediately overcome by the strangest sensation…it didn't _hurt _exactly, it felt sort of…tingly, like she had been submerged in ice.

Falling down a deep tunnel, the sensation of being torn in two…

Pain beyond imaginable…

***studies nails* What? You didn't **_**really **_**think I'd kill off Hollyleaf, did you?**


	23. Love and Loss

**Hey everyone! Wow! Over a hundred reviews!!!!!!!!!! :DDDDDDD You guys are the **_**best. **_

**Disclaimer: *sigh* Well seeing as my request to Erin Hunter to own Warriors was declined, (kidding! omg…) I don't own Warriors. **

A gray tom dropped a bundle of fragrant herbs at Hollyleaf's paws. The scent woke her, and she blinked sleepily at her brother. "Oh, hey Jayfeather." She made a face at the herbs. "More?"

"Yes," he replied. "You almost died. You need to build up your strength."

She sighed, taking the herbs in her mouth and chewing slowly. She recognized the taste of juniper and borage. Juniper to strengthen her. Borage to help her milk come. She swallowed with difficulty. "Yuck," she growled. "I'll never get used to the taste."

"As long as it helps your kits, it doesn't matter." He left.

Hollyleaf turned her head to gaze fondly at her kits. Curled up sleeping at her belly, their mingled black, ginger, and silver pelts made a colorful combination. Besides Moonkit and Eaglekit, one she-kit was named Dewkit, with her flame-red fur (Mousewhisker had chosen the name, Hollyleaf didn't know why), and the other Splashkit, because her fluffy gray pelt reminded her of her friend Willowshine in RiverClan.

Cinderheart's kits had opened their eyes the day before, and they were romping around the nursery, playing catch with a scrap of fresh-kill.

"Got it!" Honeykit squealed, leaping upward and pinning the meat between her paws.

"Not for long!" Sunkit bounded over and grabbed it.

"Hey!" Foamkit wailed. "No fair! We were playing with it first!"

"Sunkit," Icestorm chided, "Give it back. They did have it first."

"Aww, Mama!" Sunkit reluctantly gave Honeykit back the fresh-kill.

"We never get to have any fun," Splotchkit whined.

"Then go and get your own fresh-kill." Icestorm lay back in her nest and closed her eyes.

"Can we _really_, Mama?" Snowkit's eyes were wide.

"I don't see why not. You're old enough," Icestorm sighed without opening her eyes.

"Can we go see the elders, too?" Splotchkit asked, practically bouncing up and down on her paws.

"Sure. Just make sure you bring them some fresh-kill."

"Yes!" Sunkit ran out of the nursery, his sisters a pawstep behind him.

"Can we go too, Mama?" Blizzardkit asked, turned pleading blue eyes on his mother.

"No," Cinderheart mewed.

"But Sunkit got to go!"

"Sunkit is four moons old. You're less than a moon old, and it's cold outside. So no."

"But—"

"No arguments."

Mousewhisker padded through the nursery entrance, a raven gripped in his jaws, the tips of its black wings trailing along the ground. "Wow!" Hollyleaf gasped. "Did you catch that?"

Mousewhisker shook his head. "Briarpaw did, actually."

"Oh my," Daisy purred. "She must've been so proud."

"It's for all of you to share."

"What about Icestorm?" Hollyleaf cast a glance at the sleeping white queen.

"We'll save some for her," Daisy decided.

Mousewhisker stood by while Cinderheart, Daisy, and Hollyleaf crowded around the fresh-kill. Once she had eaten her fill, Hollyleaf leaned back and let her kits nurse. "I haven't had such a meal in ages," she purred.

At the other side of the nursery, Cinderheart was trying to get her kits to try a bit of the raven she had torn off. "Come on," she coaxed. "It's fresh-kill! You'll like it!"

"Ew." Foamkit turned up her nose. "It smells yucky."

Cinderheart gave up on trying to make her kits eat and turned back to Hollyleaf, shaking her head exasperatedly. Hollyleaf had to stifle a laugh.

Hollyleaf was dreaming. She was stalking through lush undergrowth, stalking a fat vole. She purred quietly with satisfaction, hearing its warm life-beat as she prepared to spring.

An ominous wail sounded from behind her. The vole scuttled for cover. Hollyleaf straightened up quickly, her ears swiveling, trying to pinpoint the sound. Another wail broke the silence, and a cat, eyes wide with terror and pelt standing on end, burst through the bushes, running wildly. "Hey!" Hollyleaf protested and it pelted past her. Crouching again, she creeped forward, towards where the unknown warrior had come from.

A scene of destruction met her eyes. Everywhere she looked was a dead body of a cat. The scent of blood hung heavily in the air, sickly sweet and choking. Instinct told her to run, to flee this place of death, but she made her frozen paws move forward. Out of the corner of her eye she saw a faintly familiar shape. She padded towards it cautiously.

It was a handsome tom, long-limbed. His pelt was as dark as night, with four white paws and a single white stripe wound its way down his face and muzzle. But his fur was shredded, cut almost all the way down to the bone, blood still oozing sluggishly from the wound. For a moment, she stood puzzling over the tom's name. Then it hit her, and she sank to her paws with a wail.

_Eaglekit. _

She whimpered as she stared at the dead body of her son. For a moment, she was overcome with grief. Then she forced herself to stand and wander still among the battlefield.

Not far from Eaglekit was a small, slender, beautiful she-cat, with fur just as dark as his. It was clear that they had died side-by-side. The she-cat had long claw marks down one side, and her startlingly green eyes were wide open and staring in horror and defiance. Hollyleaf got the impression that she was looking at her reflection.

_Moonkit. _This she-cat that looked so much like her could only be her daughter. She pressed her muzzle into her daughter's cool fur, and looked up, her eyes narrowing, searching for survivors.

There were others she recognized…Breezepelt, his eyes staring sightlessly, glaring at an unseen enemy….Mousewhisker, his fur laced with deep scratches…Jayfeather, his gray fur matted with blood and half his tail gone…Lionblaze, one eye out of its socket and his ears shredded…Cinderheart, her blood staining the grass around her crimson…Icestorm, her fur scarlet…Willowshine, barely recognizable with half her face torn away…

She roamed among the bodies of every cat she held close to her, each bloodier than the last. Finally she sank to her paws, unable to go on. She wailed her grief to the blood-red sky.

A raindrop landed in front of her. But it didn't smell like the rain she knew. It was different, tangier, saltier…

_It was raining blood. _

She stared in amazement as the bloody rain fell, running into her eyes and mouth, making her choke. The sound of the rain became a roaring in her ears, she couldn't hear, she couldn't _breathe_…

Everything went black.

She gasped, taking in great gulps of air. "Help!" she wailed. "Somebody help me!"

"Take heed, Hollyleaf." The voice came from everywhere at once, and she was relived to realize that she recognized it.

"Bluestar?"

"Great destruction is coming to the forest."

"What do you mean?"

"_The lion will roar, the tiger will reign, and the skies will rain blood._"

"What?" she cried. "What do you mean?" There was no answer. "Bluestar! Wait! Come back! What do you mean?"

"Hollyleaf!"

Her eyes flew open and she gasped.

Cinderheart's face was a whisker's length from her own. "All you alright?" she demanded, her blue eyes round with worry. "You were talking in your sleep."

"Really?" She blinked. "What was I talking about?"

"Something about lions and blood…"

"Hmm." She got to her paws, shaking out her fur and trying to stop trembling. "Yeah, I'm fine," she reassured Cinderheart. "Really."

"If you're sure…" Cinderheart retreated to her nest.

Hollyleaf stretched, flexing her claws in the deep moss. She yawned.

The thorns at the entrance rustled, and Mousewhisker pushed his way into the nursery, closely followed by Briarpaw. "Hollyleaf, guess what?" Briarpaw squealed. "I'm going to be a warrior!"

"Congratulations!" Hollyleaf purred.

Mousewhisker flicked his ears. "Not yet," he corrected. "Your final assessment isn't until later."

Briarpaw glared at him. "I'm still going to be a warrior, right?" she demanded.

"If you pass."

Briarpaw sighed, flopping down next to Hollyleaf's nest. Mousewhisker touched his nose to Hollyleaf's. "Good morning," she purred.

"Good morning," he replied. "How are the kits?" He glanced fondly at the kits, curled up by Hollyleaf's belly.

"Fine." Moonkit stirred and raised her head to look at her mother, her eyes still shut tight. "What is it, little one?" Hollyleaf murmured. Moonkit blinked, revealing her clear darkest blue eyes. Hollyleaf gasped. "You opened your eyes!"

Mousewhisker leaned in closer. "Did she really?"

"I did," Moonkit mewed proudly.

"Her eyes are blue," Hollyleaf mused aloud. "Why is that? My eyes are green, and Mousewhisker's are yellow." _And Breezepelt's are amber. _

"All kits have blue eyes to start with," Daisy explained. "Her eyes will change color in the next few moons."

"Hmm." Hollyleaf sat back down. "I wonder if that means that the others will open their eyes soon?"

She was right—over the course of the day, Eaglekit, Dewkit, and Splashkit opened their eyes and began to explore the nursery. Each of their eyes were the same color as Moonkit's—a clear blue, like the lake. Hollyleaf couldn't have been prouder of them.

"Mama, can we go outside?" Splashkit begged, looking up at Hollyleaf, her eyes pleading.

"Oh, alright," Hollyleaf purred. She stood. Her kits bounced around her paws, delighted.

Outside it was bright. Her kits leaped about in the snow, tackling each other. "Watch it!" Hollyleaf hissed as Splashkit skidded into her paws.

"Sorry, Mama," Splashkit apologized, before running back to play with her sisters and brother.

_Hmm…_Hollyleaf mused. _Moonkit and Eaglekit appeared in my dream, but Dewkit and Splashkit didn't. I wonder why that is? _

Her thoughts were cut off sharply when Dewkit's legs suddenly gave out from under her and the little flame-bright she-kit slumped to the ground. Hollyleaf bounded over to her daughter, licking the top of her head roughly. "Sweetheart, what happened?" she demanded between licks. "Are you hurt?"

Dewkit blinked up at Hollyleaf, her eyes bleary. "I'm tired," she murmured sleepily, laying her head on her paws.

Hollyleaf touched her nose to her daughter's muzzle, concern flooding her. "You're sure?" she asked. "You're not sick, are you?"

Moonkit wandered over to where her sister lay limp in the snow. "Dewkit, get up," she meowed, shaking her shoulder. "Come on, Eaglekit says that we're gonna go see Firestar's den!"

"No, you're not," Hollyleaf mewed sternly. "None of you are to go anywhere near Firestar's den. He doesn't need nosey kits rooting through his nest." Moonkit laid her ears back against her head, looking disappointed. "I'm taking your sister to Jayfeather." She picked up Dewkit's scruff in her jaws and started padding towards the medicine den.

Mousewhisker bounded over. "What happened?" he demanded.

"I don't know," Hollyleaf mumbled. "I'm taking her to Jayfeather."

"Do you want me to watch the others?"

"Would you? Thanks." Hollyleaf continued towards Jayfeather's den.

She found her brother sorting through herbs in the back of the den. "Jayfeather?" she called, setting her kit down on a soft pile of sand. "Could you come here for a moment? Something's wrong with Dewkit." Jayfeather abandoned the herbs and came over. "What's wrong with her?" Hollyleaf demanded.

"Give me a second." He sniffed Dewkit, then straightened up to face his sister. "She's not ill or hurt, if that's what you're asking."

"Oh thank StarClan," Hollyleaf sighed in relief.

"But," Jayfeather continued with a wave of his tail, "she's starving, just like the rest of the Clan."

"Oh." Hollyleaf bent her head and nudged Dewkit, who was now deep in sleep.

"And your other kits?"

"They seem fine," Hollyleaf mewed automatically.

"All the same…" He padded to the back of the den and reappeared a moment later with a bundle of herbs in his jaws. "Eat this."

Hollyleaf obeyed and recognized the taste of borage. "More?" she moaned.

"Yes, and take some back for Cinderheart, too."

"Are you going to give Dewkit anything?"

"Hmm…" he rummaged for herbs again and came back with the stem of a dark blue berry in his mouth. "Have her eat this when she gets up," he told her.

Hollyleaf purred with thanks. She picked up Dewkit's scruff again, and—careful not to wake her—padded carefully out of the den.

Mousewhisker was laying on his back in the snow as the kits climbed all over him. "Hey!" he protested. "Moonkit, that's my tail!"

"Having fun?" Hollyleaf purred through her mouthful of fur.

His eyes shone. "C'mon, off," he said, struggling to get to his paws.

"Aww, Daddy!" Eaglekit whined. Hollyleaf's heart wrenched. _He's not your father! _She wanted to wail. _Your father is in WindClan. _

Mousewhisker touched his nose to hers. "I have to go on patrol," he apologized. "I'll see you later. I love you."

"Good-bye. I…love you too," Hollyleaf whispered. _But like a friend, not like a mate. _She kept the thought to herself.

Mousewhisker waved his tail and trotted towards the camp entrance, where Brambleclaw, Spiderleg, and Toadleap were waiting. He exchanged a few words with them and they all plunged out the barrier.

Hollyleaf sighed. "Come on," she called to her kits. "You've been outside long enough."

Moonkit, Eaglekit, and Splashkit reluctantly abandoned their game and followed their mother inside the nursery.

It was much warmer inside, the now-familiar milky scent giving the illusion of comfort and safety. Hollyleaf set Dewkit down softly in her soft nest and padded to Cinderheart. "Here," she mewed, dropping the borage. "Jayfeather wanted me to give you this."

Cinderheart made a face. "I swear he wants me to live on this stuff." But she lapped it up anyway.

Hollyleaf settled down in her nest and closed her eyes. Within heartbeats she was asleep.

She could tell it was sunrise when she awoke. She raised her head sleepily, blinking. Instinctively, she looked at her kits. Moonkit, Splashkit, and Eaglekit were curled up together, their breath billowing in the cold air, but Dewkit was perfectly still. She nudged the little she-kit. "Wake up, darling," she whispered. "Time to start another day."

Dewkit didn't move.

"Dewkit," Hollyleaf mewed again, a little desperately. "Wake up, precious." She nudged her daughter again, harder this time. "Wake up!" She licked and nudged Dewkit frantically, trying to get her to wake up.

Sometime while she was doing that, she realized that Dewkit wasn't breathing.

"No!" she wailed, loud enough to wake the entire camp. "Dewkit, wake up! Dewkit, please!"

Daisy's head shot up, her eyes wide with alarm. "What happened?!"

Hollyleaf sat up in her nest and wailed her grief to the nursery roof. "Dewkit!" she sobbed. "Dewkit's dead!" She collapsed, her legs unable to support her.

"Oh, Hollyleaf," Daisy murmured sadly. "I'm so sorry." She made her way over to the black queen and tried futilely to comfort her.

"Mama?" asked Eaglekit sleepily, stirring. "Mama, what's wrong?"

Cinderheart and Icestorm were awake now, their heads bowed, sharing Hollyleaf's grief. "Mama, what happened?" Blizzardkit demanded, peering at Hollyleaf.

"Why's Hollyleaf so sad?" Honeykit asked her mother.

Cinderheart wrapped her fluffy tail around her kits. "Something very bad happened to Dewkit," she murmured. "Something very, very bad."

"Really?" Blizzardkit asked, craning his neck, trying to catch a glimpse of Dewkit's fur.

Mousewhisker bounded into the nursery. "What's happened? What's wrong?" he demanded. Then he saw Hollyleaf, huddled in a limp bundle of black fur. "Oh, Hollyleaf," he murmured, making his way over to her and pressing his pelt to hers.

"Dewkit's dead," she whispered brokenly.

For a moment, he was silent. Then he mewed softly, "She's in StarClan now. She'll never be hungry again."

"I don't _want _her to be in StarClan!" she hissed. "I want her to be _here_!"

He licked her ears. "Think of the other kits," he encouraged. "They still need you."

Hollyleaf dropped her gaze to look at her remaining kits. Moonkit and Splashkit were still asleep, but Eaglekit was awake and on his paws, gazing at Hollyleaf innocently. "I love you, Mama," he squeaked.

Hollyleaf chuckled through her grief, lowering her head to nuzzle her son. "I love you too, precious," she purred. "I'll always love you."

_Enough to give him up_?

The thought struck suddenly. _You have no milk. They'll all starve if you keep them. _She stood puzzled for a moment. Then: _Breezepelt would take them. There are nursing queens in WindClan. They're better off in leaf-bare than ThunderClan is. _

Mousewhisker touched his nose to her ear. "I'll go bury her," he breathed.

"Yes," Hollyleaf replied, deep in thought. "You…do that." Mousewhisker picked up Dewkit's body in his jaws and padded out of the nursery.

_They'll all starve if you keep them. You have no other choice. _

That night was full moon. She leaped up the rocks to Firestar's den just as he was about to leave. "Firestar?" she called.

Firestar emerged, looking confused. "Yes, Hollyleaf?"

"I was just wondering if I could come to the Gathering tonight."

"You're sure you want to go? You're kits—"

"My kits will be fine," she interrupted. "Really, Firestar. Cinderheart already agreed to take care of them for the night." She blinked encouragingly.

"Oh…alright, you can go."

_Yes_! Hollyleaf rejoiced as she joined the assembled patrol. "What are you doing here?" Lionblaze asked in shock.

"I'm going."

"Oh, alright then." He left, a pawstep behind Firestar.

She kept pace with Lionblaze all the way to the island. It felt great to stretch her legs after being cooped up in the nursery for half a moon. When it came her turn to leap onto the tree-bridge, she leaped gracefully and made it across without stumbling.

They were the second Clan to arrive. The ThunderClan cats milled about with WindClan, sharing tongues and chatting friendlily.

Breezepelt was talking with a broad-shouldered gray apprentice Hollyleaf didn't know. "Evening, Breezepelt," she mewed as she approached them.

Breezepelt blinked warmly at her and nudged the gray apprentice. "Go," he encouraged. "This is a chance to meet cats from different Clans." The apprentice trotted away to go talk to Bumblepaw. Within heartbeats the apprentices were chatting like old friends. "My new apprentice," Breezepelt explained. "Boulderpaw. So," Breezepelt asked Hollyleaf. "What do you want?"

"Can we talk?"

"Sure." She followed him to the edge of the island.

"Breezepelt, there's something I should tell you," she began.

"Wait." He waved his tail. "Did you have the kits?"

"Yes," she mewed, her heart momentarily glowing with pride. "Three she-kits and a tom. The tom is named Eaglekit, and the she-kits are Moonkit, Splashkit, and Dewkit." She looked at her paws. "Dewkit died this morning," she admitted quietly.

"Oh." Breezepelt looked as grieved as she felt at the news of his daughter's death. "It'll be alright," he murmured, pressing his muzzle to hers and twining his tail with hers. "A son and three daughters! You're so clever. I'll bet they're more beautiful than any other kit in the forest!"

"They are," Hollyleaf murmured, leaning into him and feeling grateful for his warmth. Suddenly remembering what she had wanted to talk to him about. "You'll get to see them soon. I can't keep them."

"What?" Breezepelt looked shocked. "Why not?"

"Dewkit died because I didn't—_don't_—have enough milk to feed them. They'll all die if they stay in ThunderClan." She gazed at him beseechingly. "You understand, don't you?"

"I understand," he growled, staring fixedly at his paws.

Hollyleaf moved a pawstep closer to him. "Isn't there any she-cat in WindClan that will nurse them?"

"I guess," he growled again. "Heathertail. She kitted about a half-moon ago, and two of her kits have died recently." Even though she hated Heathertail, she felt a pang of sympathy for the blue-eyed she-cat. Hollyleaf had lost one kit. Heathertail had lost two. She couldn't imagine the pain Heathertail must be going through. "So you'll take them?" she begged. "Please?"

"Yes," Breezepelt answered, breaking away from her. "Meet me tomorrow at moonhigh, in the clearing!" he called over his shoulder as he left, the ferns swishing in his wake.

**Oh my gosh….three thousand words….O.O wow. Did I really write all that? Good, cuz it took over a month to finish. **

**Don't forget to press the pretty green button! **


	24. A Cold Journey

The nearly full moon floated high overhead, surrounded by sparkling stars. _Am I really doing the right thing, StarClan?_ Hollyleaf thought, staring up at the moon. _Help me. Please. Tell me I'm doing what's right. _The stars twinkled reassuringly at her. She slipped back into the nursery. Cinderheart and Daisy were curled up together, sleeping deeply. Icestorm was stretched out in her nest, Sunkit, Snowkit, and Splotchkit snuggled up near her belly.

As for her own kits, they were huddled together in Hollyleaf's still-warm nest. "Come on," Hollyleaf whispered, nudging them awake with her paws and muzzle. "Get up. We're going on an adventure."

Slowly her kits began to wake. "What are we doing, Mama?" Moonkit asked.

"Shh!" Hollyleaf hissed. "You all must be very quiet. We're going to go surprise your father."

"Mousewhisker?" Splashkit asked in confusion.

"No. Your real father. In WindClan."

"But isn't that against the warrior code?" Eaglekit chirped.

"Yes," Hollyleaf sighed. "It is. Now get up. Remember, you have to be very quiet." She stepped over her kits and began to claw a hole in the nursery wall.

"What are you doing?" Splashkit asked.

Finally Hollyleaf had made a hole big enough for them all to squeeze through. She grabbed each of her kits separately and hoisted them through the hole. They stood shivering in the snow. "Mama, it's cold," Moonkit complained.

"Shhh," Hollyleaf repeated. She bent her head to touch her nose to each of her kits' heads in turn. "You all have to be like warriors," she told them quietly. "Warriors don't mind the cold." They still shivered, but at least they were quiet. "Eaglekit," Hollyleaf told him, "hold still for a moment." Very quickly she nipped his tail.

"Ouch!" Eaglekit squeaked. "Mama, what are you doing?"

"I'm sorry," Hollyleaf whispered, watching bright scarlet blood well under the black fur. Eaglekit flicked his tail irritably, and several of the drops scattered on the ground, staining the snow. She started licking his wound roughly to stop the bleeding.

"Ah," Eaglekit sighed. "That feels much better."

Hollyleaf purred with relief and peered around the edge of the camp. No cat was awake. Good. "Now, follow me," she instructed. "Be sure to stay quiet." She creeped through the edge of the camp, heading towards the concealed exit near the medicine den. "Wait here," she commanded, picking Moonkit up by her scruff and bounded up the rocky ledge. She set her daughter down on a firm patch of snow and went to retrieve her other kits.

When they were finally all out of camp, Hollyleaf set off briskly towards the WindClan border. "Come on," she mewed to her kits. "Hurry up."

It was difficult going. The snow was deep underpaw and freshly fallen. "Mama," Splashkit whimpered, "I don't wanna be a warrior anymore. I wanna go back to the nursery."

"Me too," Moonkit and Eaglekit echoed, their voices slurred with exhaustion.

Hollyleaf's heart cried out for her kits. She shouldn't be doing this, she should be in the nursery, safe and warm in her familiar nest. But she struggled onward. "Come on," she encouraged, "I made a journey like this when I was younger than you were, with Jayfeather and Lionblaze and Squirrelflight. I survived, and so can you." She nudged each of her kits forward. "Go on now, we're almost there."

Snow started swirling around them, thick and wet. Hollyleaf glanced at the sky. "Fox-dung!" she hissed under her breath. "Hurry up," she told her kits urgently.

All their noses were tinged white, a sure sign that they was getting too cold. They were shivering so violently that they almost couldn't walk. Hollyleaf's thick black fur kept her somewhat warm, but her kits' nursery-soft fur couldn't keep out cold like this. Moonkit wailed as she sunk up to her belly in a snowdrift. Hollyleaf bounded over to her daughter, picking her up and setting her on a firmer patch, where she crouched, shivering. Hollyleaf licked her roughly. "Come on, get up," she murmured reassuringly. "You can do it." Wearily the little black she-kit got to her paws and struggled on.

Splashkit was lagging behind. Hollyleaf padded to her anxiously. "Are you alright?" she demanded.

Splashkit blinked up at her with exhausted eyes. She was vividly reminded of how Dewkit had looked right before she died. "Mama, can we go home?" she pleaded piteously.

"No," Hollyleaf replied. "But I'll carry you if you like."

Splashkit curled up with her tail over her nose. "Thank you, Mama," she murmured. Hollyleaf gripped her scruff tenderly and straightened up with the silver kit dangling from her jaws. "Come on," she muttered to Moonkit and Eaglekit.

"Hey, why does _she _get to be carried?" Eaglekit demanded.

"Because she's the littlest," Hollyleaf replied. "You're big and strong, Eaglekit. You can manage."

Finally they reached the clearing. Hollyleaf set Splashkit down with Eaglekit and Moonkit. They huddled together, their eyes wide and glazed-looking. Hollyleaf dug a shallow trench in the snow and layed down in it, drawing her kits to her with a sweep of her tail. She curled her body around them, offering what warmth and milk she had. They fell asleep almost instantly.

Splashkit was unnaturally still. Hollyleaf nudged her and was horrified to find that her fur was as cold as the snow. She was dead.

_Why, StarClan? _She wondered bitterly, glaring at the sky. _She was so little. So young. So close to warmth and safety. Why did you have to take her away from me? _

A comforting scent wreathed around her. Bluestar was here with her! She blinked.

The starry she-cat was standing in front of her, her eyes shining like chips of ice. Two kits stood with her, one silver tabby, one bright ginger. Both StarClan kits were gazing at Hollyleaf with expressions of warmth and love, their deep blue eyes glittering and starlight sparkling at their paws. "Splashkit! And Dewkit!" she cried as she recognized her daughters.

Dewkit bounded to her mother, pressing her muzzle to hers. "I'm so sorry," Hollyleaf whispered. "You shouldn't be dead. And…I never got to say good-bye."

Dewkit's eyes sparkled. "I'm sorry too," she confessed. "And I never got to say good-bye either, Mama. Could you please tell Moonkit and Eaglekit that I love them, and that I'll always be watching over them?"

"Me too," Splashkit added, coming up from behind her sister. "I love you, Mama."

"I love you too," Hollyleaf purred. "Both of you."

Bluestar gathered the kits to her. "Come on," she told them. "You need to get back to the nursery." Bluestar glanced at Hollyleaf. "Don't worry about them," she meowed reassuringly. "I'll watch over them, I promise."

"You'd better," Hollyleaf managed to choke out. "Or, I swear, when I join StarClan, I will _kill _you."

Bluestar smiled. "I know."

Pawsteps behind her brought her back to reality. She jumped, and the StarClan cats dissapeared. "I'm here," Breezepelt mewed. He glanced at the kits huddled near Hollyleaf's belly. "These are my kits?"

"Yes," she replied. She prodded Moonkit and Eaglekit with her paw. "Wake up," she breathed. "Wake up and meet your father."

They woke. "Did you really have to wake me up?" Moonkit complained, glaring at Hollyleaf. "I was having the best dream!" Breezepelt chuckled. Moonkit spun. "Oh!" she gasped. "You're my father?"

Breezepelt lowered his head to touch his nose to his daughter's. "Yes, I am," he replied. "My name is Breezepelt. You must be Moonkit."

"I am. And this is my brother, Eaglekit."

She glanced at Eaglekit, who was staring at Breezepelt quizzically. "You look like me," he mewed to Breezepelt.

"You think so? I think you look more like your mother," Breezepelt glanced at his mate. "You're absolutely sure you want to do this?"

"Do what?" Eaglekit asked curiously.

"Positive." Hollyleaf stood, shaking snow from her pelt.

Breezepelt gasped, spotting Splashkit's body. "What happened?" he gasped. Both Moonkit's and Eaglekit's eyes flew to the body of their sister.

"Splashkit!" Moonkit wailed. "Wake up!"

Hollyleaf brushed her tail across her daughter's muzzle, silencing her. "She won't," she whispered, "She died. While you were sleeping." She glanced at Breezepelt. His eyes shone with grief.

"I didn't get to say good-bye," Eaglekit whimpered.

"Neither did I." She touched her nose to his muzzle, then to Moonkit's. "You're going to go with your father now," she told them, her voice breaking. "Remember, I love you and I always will. For ever and ever. Good-bye." She looked at Breezepelt. "Take good care of them," she growled.

He touched his nose to her's. "I will."

"Maybe it would be best if we didn't see each other again…" Hollyleaf admitted brokenly.

"What?"

"This has gone way too far, my love. You know that."

"But Hollyleaf, I love you!"

"I love you too," she told him. "More than you'll ever know. That's why I can't see you again." She bounded away.

"Mama, you forgot us!" Eaglekit wailed. "Hollyleaf, come back!"

"We want to stay with you!" Moonkit cried.

She didn't look back.

"Come on," Breezepelt told his son and daughter, interrupting their brokenhearted wailing for their mother. "We have to leave."

Moonkit glared at him; her eyes held venom. "I don't want to go with you!" she spat. "I want Hollyleaf!"

Breezepelt spotted the small silver body of Splashkit. "Actually, hang on a second." He started to dig. Even though he hadn't known her, he wasn't going to leave her body here for Hollyleaf's Clanmates to find. Finally he managed to make a hole deep enough for a small body to fit in. He dropped Splashkit's body in the hole and scraped dirt over her. He straightened. "Alright. Let's go."

They made the journey to the WindClan camp slowly. "Breezepelt, I'm cold!" Eaglekit complained.

"You think I'm not?" Breezepelt retorted. "We're almost there. You'll be fine." He nudged them forward.

"Where are we going?" Moonkit asked listlessly. It was the first time she had spoken since she had spat at him earlier.

"My camp."

She gazed at him curiously. "Why?"

"That's where you're going to live from now on."

"Really?" Eaglekit gasped. "But we're from ThunderClan!"

"You're _half _ThunderClan. You're also half WindClan. And your mother thought it would be best if you came to WindClan instead." He paused. "But remember, you can't tell _anyone _that your mother is from ThunderClan. It can be our secret."

Moonkit brightened. "I like secrets."

They had reached the camp. "Come on," Breezepelt told them, padding through the entrance, "we're here."

"_This _is your camp?" Eaglekit breathed, staring around with wide eyes.

"Yes. I don't have time to give you the grand tour now. Now you need warmth and milk." He led them to the nursery.

Inside it was warm and dark. Whitetail was sleeping near the edge of the nursery, her kits by her belly. Heathertail was sleeping with her tail wrapped around her nose, her little dark gray and cream she-kit, Driftkit, curled up close beside her. "Heathertail," Breezepelt hissed, prodding her awake. "Wake up."

Heathertail opened her eyes blearily. Driftkit stirred. "Go back to sleep, precious," she crooned to her daughter. "What do you want, Breezepelt?" she asked tiredly. Then she spotted Eaglekit and Moonkit. "Oh!" she gasped. "Where did you find them?"

"Abandoned in the snow," Breezepelt lied easily. "A rouge's kits, I guess."

"They're gorgeous," Heathertail murmured, her eyes softening. "Their mother must be frantic."

"If she left them on a night like this, she doesn't care." His heart twisted for Hollyleaf. "Will you nurse them?"

"How could I not? Come here, little ones." They did, and within heartbeats were fast asleep, snuggled into Heathertail's soft fur. "Do you have names for them?" she asked.

"The tom is Eaglekit, and the she-kit is Moonkit."

"Beautiful names," Heathertail murmured, washing the snow from their pelts. "You can leave now," she told him, looking up. "I'll take care of them, I promise. And you'd better tell Onestar."

"Of course," he muttered absentmindedly, staring at his kits. Pride bubbled in his belly. _I, _he vowed, _am going to be a much better father to you than Crowfeather was to me, I promise. _

Hollyleaf slipped back into camp just as the sky started to lighten. Her heart ached. But it was over now, and nothing she could do would change that. The puny vole that she had managed to catch on her way home hung from her jaws.

"Morning, Hollyleaf," Poppyfrost, who was on guard, mewed. "Out for a morning hunt?"

"Couldn't sleep," Hollyleaf mumbled through the fresh-kill. Poppyfrost's eyes shone sympathetically. Hollyleaf didn't reply, only headed to the nursery.

Fresh grief stabbed heart as she spotted her cold, empty nest. Cinderheart, Daisy, and Icestorm were all still asleep. She dropped the vole and settled down in her nest, trying to look like she had just woken up.

"My kits! My kits are gone!"

**Well, what do you think? Was it at least a halfway decent ending? Please tell me! **


	25. How to Save a Life

**All right everyone, I just realized that I made a HUGE mistake last chapter. _THIS _was supposed to be chapter twenty-five, but me, being the blondie that I am, uploaded what was _supposed _to be chapter 26 and made it chapter 25 instead. Sorry about the mix-up and for anyone that was confused. Sorry again! **

**Disclaimer: I. DON'T. OWN. WARRIORS. **

_The lion will roar, the tiger will reign, and the skies will rain blood._

Hollyleaf woke with a start. For a moment, she was unsure where she was. Then she remembered; she was in the warrior's den, with Lionblaze and Mousewhisker on either side of her. She stood and shook out her fur, careful not to disturb either tom.

At the far side of the den, Bumblestripe was curled up, breathing deeply. He and his sisters had received their warrior names a quarter moon ago. Two days after Hollyleaf had given up her kits.

She felt a pang of grief as she remembered. The entire Clan had searched the territory for days on end, searching for the missing kits. She had searched too, at Mousewhisker's side even though she had known that she would never find them. They were safe and warm in the WindClan nursery.

Speaking of Mousewhisker, he had grieved as if he was their birth father when Moonkit and Eaglekit had dissapeared. Somewhere during those first few days, she had realized that she couldn't live without him, however hard she tried. Their relationship had grown too deep to deny. She cast a fond glance at the sleeping tom, stopping to nuzzle his pelt before stepping out into the cold morning air.

Blossomsplash was standing guard, her fur fluffed up. "Morning, Hollyleaf," she greeted. She returned the greeting. "Have you seen Briarshadow? Brambleclaw said I could go hunting after Dustpelt takes over."

"I just woke up," Hollyleaf admitted.

"Okay," Blossomsplash sighed. "Never mind, then."

Dovepaw padded blearily out of the apprentice's den, still looking sleepy. "Good morning, Blossomsplash, Hollyleaf," she yawned. "Is Lionblaze still asleep? He said that he'd take me on the dawn patrol."

"He is," Hollyleaf scoffed. "Lazy fur ball. Forget him, I could do with something to wake me up. I'll take you, Dovepaw."

"Thanks, Hollyleaf," Dovepaw mewed.

Dustpelt padded over to Blossomsplash, nodding his head in greeting. Yawning, he laid down with his head on his paws, staring intently at the camp entrance. "Can I come with you?" Blossomsplash asked, stretching. "I'm not quite ready to go back to sleep yet."

"Weren't you going to go hunting with Briarshadow?"

"Yeah, but I think she's still asleep."

"She wasn't in the warrior's den."

"Hmm. Then I expect that she's already out in the forest. Now, are we going on patrol or not?" She bounded out the barrier.

The forest was still cold, the snow wet and slushy. Hollyleaf hissed, shaking her paw to try to get the slush out of it. "Hurry up, Hollyleaf!" Dovepaw called.

"I'm coming!" Hollyleaf called indignantly, trotting quickly to join Blossomsplash and Dovepaw. "Patience is a virtue," she told Dovepaw. "Remember that now."

Dovepaw was almost bouncing up and down on her paws. "Hollyleaf!" she whined. "Enough! I want to get going."

"Keep your pelt on," she said mildly.

Dovepaw snorted. "Forget it. I'm heading to the border." She took off running.

Blossomsplash sighed. "Apprentices."

Hollyleaf twitched her ears. "You were an apprentice less than half a moon ago," she reminded her. "You should be one to talk."

A wail split the still air. Hollyleaf's ears pricked up. "Dovepaw!" She ran towards the sound.

The pale gray she-cat had almost fallen off the cliff by the stream, hanging on by a paw. "Help!" she wailed.

"Hold on!" Hollyleaf mewed desperately. "Just…hold on for a second!" She looked around desperately for something that could somehow help Dovepaw.

Blossomsplash was standing frozen behind her, her eyes wide with horror. "Don't just stand there!" Hollyleaf snapped. "Do something!"

"What?"

"Something! Anything! Go…go tell Firestar or something!" Blossomsplash wheeled around and sped towards camp.

Dovepaw wailed again as her claws slipped and pebbles rained down the rocky ledge. "A-all right Dovepaw," Hollyleaf mewed uncertainly, crouching beside the ledge, "Umm…see if you can grab my paw." She stretched one paw over the edge as far as she could.

With the paw that wasn't keeping her from falling, Dovepaw swiped desperately and missed. "I'm going to die!" she wailed as she fell down another tail length.

"No you're not!" Hollyleaf growled.

Dovepaw gave one terrified scream and lost her grip. "Dovepaw!" Hollyleaf called. "Dovepaw!"

A pale gray head broke the surface of the tumbling water, coughing. "Help me!" she cried before disappearing.

"H-Hang on!" Hollyleaf called back, racing along the bank. "Dovepaw, I'm coming!"

_She's going to die, _a small voice in the back of her head whispered. _She's going to die and you'll be powerless to save her. _

"No she's not!" Hollyleaf mewed aloud. "She's going to be fine!"

Dovepaw's head broke the surface again, her ears flat against her head. _"Help me_!"

Without another thought, Hollyleaf launched herself into the river. The icy water hit her like a shock. She swam upwards, searching the murky water for Dovepaw's pelt.

_There she is! _

Kicking out with her hind legs, she swam strongly towards the motionless gray pelt. But just as she reached the apprentice, the current swept her away again.

_No! _Hollyleaf screamed inside her head. _No, I won't let her drown! _

Something soft brushed by her and Hollyleaf turned her head. It was Dovepaw! The apprentice's body was little more than a piece of sodden prey being pushed around by the current. She gripped the apprentice's scruff tightly in her jaws and kicked upwards. She didn't struggle.

Coughing around a drenched pelt, Hollyleaf's head broke the surface. Her paws found leverage in the pebbles at the stream-bottom. With a grateful gasp, she stumbled out of the stream and onto the shore.

Dovepaw was still motionless. "Wake up!" Hollyleaf begged desperately. "Dovepaw, wake up!"

_Wake up! Wake up! _Her voice echoed in her head and a picture flashed in her mind, a picture of a small flame-red kit, with frost glittering at her paws and her deep blue eyes sparkling with starlight. She growled and pushed the image away. Right now she needed to focus on Dovepaw.

_Lick her fur the wrong way. _

Hollyleaf started. "What?"

_Lick her fur the wrong way. It will dry her and warm her. _

Slightly confused, Hollyleaf bent her head and obeyed.

Dovepaw suddenly coughed, water bubbling on her lips. Her amber eyes flew open. "W-w-what happened?" she gasped.

Hollyleaf put her muzzle close to the apprentice's ear. "You fell in," she breathed. "You almost drowned."

Dovepaw scrambled to her paws. "Oh my StarClan!" she gasped. "Birchfall!"

Hollyleaf spun. The brown tabby warrior was standing just behind them, his gaze full of concern for his daughter. Instantly Hollyleaf knew that this was the voice that had been whispering in her ear. "Birchfall," she mewed respectfully, bowing her head.

Birchfall completely ignored her, padding forward to touch his muzzle to his daughter's. "You're so brave," he murmured. "So beautiful. Just like your mother."

Dovepaw looked stunned.

Birchfall grinned. "But," he continued, "you're also impulsive. Like me. You need to learn to keep that in check. You're not ready to join me yet, my precious daughter."

Dovepaw lowered her gaze. "I'm sorry, Father," she whispered.

Birchfall flicked her over the ear. "Good. You'd better be. Say hello to Ivypaw and Whitewing for me. Tell them I'll always be watching over them…and you."

"I will," Dovepaw mewed. "I promise."

"Good-bye, Dovepaw. Same to you, Hollyleaf." Birchfall nodded politely, as if only just noticing her. He dissolved into mist.

"Well," Hollyleaf meowed after a heartbeat's silence. "Come on. We need to get back to camp. You—" she nudged Dovepaw, "need to go see Jayfeather."

"B-But I'm fine!" Dovepaw protested, shivering.

"No, you're not."

Dovepaw tried to stand but staggered and lost her balance. "I-I c-c-can't," she mewed.

"Yes you can," Hollyleaf murmured. "Here, lean on my shoulder." Dovepaw gladly obeyed, and they set off for the camp.

They must've looked like some heroic battle survivors as they staggered into camp, Dovepaw leaning on Hollyleaf's shoulder and just barely walking and Hollyleaf guiding her gently along.

"Dovepaw!" Whitewing cried, racing for her daughter. "Dovepaw, what happened?! Did you fall?"

Dovepaw weakly shoved her mother away. "I-I'm fine," she mumbled.

"No, you're not," Whitewing mewed sternly. "Any cat with eyes could see that. Come on, you're going straight to Jayfeather's den."

Lionblaze padded out of the warrior's den. His eyes widened when he laid eyes on his apprentice. "Dovepaw? What happened?"

"She fell off the side of the river by the WindClan border," Hollyleaf explained. "I had to fish her out."

"You were very brave," Firestar meowed warmly, coming up behind her.

Squirrelflight padded to Hollyleaf. "You're wet," she murmured gently, sniffing her pelt delicately. "You need to go see Jayfeather before you get a chill."

"I'm alright," Hollyleaf protested as a violent shiver racked her body. "I just need to lie down."

Squirrelflight's eyes gleamed. "You are going to see Jayfeather right now if I have to drag you there," she growled.

Hollyleaf sighed, giving up the argument. She followed her mother meekly to the medicine den, head down and tail dragging.

Jayfeather was pushing Dovepaw into a nest of soft moss at the back of the den. "Rest," he insisted. "You had a bad shock today. Your mother will bring you some fresh-kill." He cast a glance at Whitewing, who nodded and left the den.

Jayfeather turned to Squirrelflight and Hollyleaf. "Hmph," he snorted, sniffing her pelt. "You need to dry yourself off, first of all. I'll go fetch you some thyme and poppy seeds." He whisked off towards the back of the den.

"Thyme?" Hollyleaf asked curiously.

"It will help ward off shock and help you sleep," Jayfeather explained, reappearing with the mouthful of herbs. "You need to dry off and eat it. Then you can go back to the warriors den. No more patrols or hunting for the rest of the day."

Grumbling to herself, she washed until her pelt was dry and soft. "Happy now?" she sighed.

Jayfeather shoved to herbs to her with a paw. "Eat."

Obediently Hollyleaf lapped up the herbs. Immediately she was overtaken by a warm, sleepy feeling. "Thanks, Jayfeather," she mewed to her litter mate. "I'm gonna go lay down now…" She staggered into the clearing.

Her nest felt so soft and warm…she collapsed in it with a sigh of relief. Wrapping her tail over her nose, she sighed happily again.

The bracken next to her rustled and a soft gray and white pelt settled next to her. "You were very brave today," Mousewhisker murmured to her. "You saved Dovepaw's life."

Hollyleaf cuddled closer to him. "Thank you," she mumbled sleepily. "I love you." _And I really mean it this time. _

Mousewhisker lapped her ear tenderly. "I love you too, my sweet."

"Don't ever leave me."

"I won't, my love. I promise."

Concentrating on nothing but his steady breathing, she drifted off into sleep.

**Aww, sweet ending, don't you think? **


	26. Deputy!

**Okay, I'm guessing that many of you noticed that this is just the same thing as chapter 25. Well, that would be because I'm an idiot. I'm not going to explain the whole mix-up thing again, so my advice is to, if you haven't already, go back and read the REAL chapter 25. Ciao!**

**DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN WARRIORS GET OVER IT ALREADY!!!!!!!!!!**

By the time Hollyleaf woke again the moon was high in the sky. She yawned. Mousewhisker's nest was empty. She figured that he had probably gone on patrol.

Dustpelt and Ferncloud were sharing tongues outside the warrior's den. She couldn't help but notice how the brown tabby warrior's ribs showed sharply under his ragged pelt.

The fresh-kill pile was small, three mice, a shrew, and a robin. She glanced at the meager offerings and decided that she wasn't hungry.

"Hollyleaf?"

She turned at the sound of her name. Firestar was padding towards her. She walked over to meet him. "Yes?" she asked.

"Come with me." He waved his tail towards the forest.

A thousand horrible possibilities ran through her mind. Had he possibly found out about her relationship with Breezepelt? Had he found out that her kits hadn't really died? Reluctantly she followed him out into the forest.

He stayed silent until they had almost reached the WindClan border. Finally he slowed, staring out into the distance, looking as though his mind was far, far away from here. Hollyleaf stood beside him, gazing towards the WindClan camp and wondering how her kits were. Hopefully safe and loved in the WindClan nursery with Heathertail. "What you did yesterday was brave," Firestar mewed finally. "Heroic, even."

"Thank you, Firestar," she replied.

He still didn't look at her. "You're an excellent warrior," he mewed. "Just like your mother and father."

"Thanks?" she repeated.

"Nothing ever lasts forever," he murmured.

"What?" she asked curiously.

"You're an excellent warrior," he repeated, "I've never seen you waver in battle, or come back from a hunt empty-pawed, even in the middle of leaf-bare. But there's more than that. You're kind and compassionate and gentle. You would die for ThunderClan."

"You think too highly of me, Firestar." Hollyleaf murmured.

"I don't think so." He turned his head and fixed her with his startlingly green gaze. _His eyes look exactly like Squirrelflight's_, Hollyleaf noted. _Like mine, too. _

"I want you to be the next deputy of ThunderClan."

"B-but what about Brambleclaw?"

"I'm not asking you to take this responsibility right now, Hollyleaf. But, when the time comes, I want you be ready."

"I will be, Firestar. I promise."

Firestar purred. "Thank you for talking with me, Hollyleaf." He padded away.

Hollyleaf stayed where she was, her head spinning. _I'm going to be the next deputy of ThunderClan! _

**Errr…*coughcough* Yes, it was an extremely short chapter, but please don't kill me…*sniffle* Press the pretty green button? Please? **


	27. The Lion Will Roar

**I prooooooomise I'll try to make this chapter longer than the last one. **

**Disclaimer: No…no…don't own it and probably never will. **

The weak sunlight beat down on Hollyleaf's back. Storm clouds gathered ominously above her. Cold water seeped into her belly fur. Leaf-bare had finally passed, but the snow was melting and it made everything damp and cold underpaw. She flicked her tail irritably. _"_I feel wetter than a fish!" she complained to Mousewhisker over the rabbit they were sharing.

His whiskers twitched. "I'm sorry, love," he purred. "But there's really not much you can do about it."

Icestorm's kits came tumbling out of the nursery. They were just over five moons old, and they were almost apprentices. They seemed eager to be out the cooped-up nursery, and they leaped and ran around the clearing excitedly, pouncing on each other's tails. Hollyleaf purred with amusement.

Icestorm followed her kits out of the nursery. She settled just outside the entrance, wrapping her tail around her paws. She watched her kits play with love gleaming in her dark blue eyes. "Splotchkit!" she called as the she-kit almost barreled straight into Jayfeather's paws as he padded out from the medicine den. "Watch where you're going."

"Sorry, Mama!" Splotchkit called, bounding back to join her brother and sister.

Firestar padded down from the Highledge. He picked a mouse off the fresh-kill pile and padded over to join Mousewhisker and Hollyleaf. "Good morning," he greeted them. "Have you seen Brambleclaw? I want to speak with him."

"Not since this morning," Hollyleaf replied. "He said he was going hunting."

"Firestar, Hollyleaf!" came an anxious voice from the side of the clearing. It was Squirrelflight. She joined them, her green eyes shining with worry. "You haven't seen Brambleclaw, have you? I said he was going out to hunt at dawn and he hasn't come back yet. I was beginning to worry."

"I'm sure he'll be back soon," Mousewhisker reassured her.

Squirrelflight gazed pass him, looking towards the thorn barrier. "He said he'd be back by sun-high," she muttered. "It's not like him to be late."

"He's fine," Hollyleaf meowed, though her own belly was beginning to prickle with anxiety.

Suddenly Squirrelflight froze, staring at the barrier. "Brambleclaw!" she whispered in horror.

Hollyleaf turned, and almost forgot how to breathe.

Hazeltail was standing just in front of the entrance to camp, looking strangely lost. Briarshadow, Ivypaw and Spiderleg were standing beside her. Hanging from Hazeltail's jaws was a huge limp bundle of dark tabby fur.

It was Brambleclaw.

Squirrelflight let out a wail of despair. "Brambleclaw!"

Cats, drawn by the sound of her wail, melted from the shadows and huddled in a group around the dead deputy. "What happened?" Firestar demanded, shouldering his way to stand in front of Hazeltail.

"I don't know," Hazeltail mewed, her blue eyes wide. "We found him by the ShadowClan border."

Firestar sighed. "He will be missed," he murmured.

There was silence. Hollyleaf glanced towards the sky. _Receive him and honor him…please. I beg of you. _

Cats all around her bowed their heads. Grief hung in the air, almost tangible. Hollyleaf could see Jayfeather staring in dismay at the body of their father, almost as if he could see it.

There was a small sound at the back of the crowd. It sounded almost like…laughter. Hollyleaf spun around, instantly furious at whoever it was that was laughing.

_Lionblaze? _

The golden tabby tom was crouching, tail waving, his amber eyes alight with glee. His laughter deepened until it filled the air around them. It was a sound of pure joy, but strangely sinister, lilting, insane sounding. As she watched he threw his head back, shouting at the sky. "I did it! Do you hear me, Tigerstar? I did it!" Like an apprentice showing off his first-ever catch.

Firestar pushed his way through the crowd that stood shocked silent. "Lionblaze, what are you _doing_?"

"I did it," Lionblaze whispered, reverently, still staring insanely at the sky.

"Did what?"

Lionblaze fixed Firestar with his amber stare. "_I killed Brambleclaw._"

"How could you? He was your _father_!"

"Brambleclaw was no father of mine," the golden tom hissed, his voice sounding colder than Hollyleaf had ever heard it. "Tigerstar is the truest father I have ever known."

"But _why_?"

"Why? Because I want to be leader." He paused. "I'm no fool, Firestar. I know you're on your last life."

Firestar's voice was shaking slightly. "How do you know that?"

"Jayfeather told me."

Hollyleaf whirled around. Jayfeather was shrinking back against the side of the camp, his jay-blue eyes wide with horror. "No!" he whispered. "I didn't know! _I didn't know_!"

"Well, Firestar?" Lionblaze asked, that mad lilt to his voice reappearing. "Any last words?"

"Lionblaze, what are you—"

Lionblaze pounced, claws glinting. Hollyleaf stood frozen in horror. She was powerless to help, could only watch as her leader fell, lifeless, to the ground…

Lionblaze stood, his golden muzzle dripping with blood. Very faintly, in the shadows, Hollyleaf spotted the palest outline of a dark tabby tom, his amber eyes glowing with pride and smugness. "I am Lionstar!" he yowled to the sky.

Suddenly an image of the bloody battlefield flashed in her mind. She knew, with absolute certainty, that this was the immediate future she was facing.

_No. _

She flexed her claws, making long gauges in the dirt.

_I will never let you take over this Clan. _

She leaped.

Lionblaze turned at the last moment, his eyes growing wide with shock. She landed squarely on his shoulders, her claws digging into his pelt. The tom hissed and ducked to one side and she slid ungracefully to the ground. He was on her in an instant, biting her ear—_hard_—and scrabbling her belly with his hind claws. She snarled and let herself go limp.

The old trick worked. Lionblaze loosened his grip and she managed to throw him off as she scrambled to her paws. For a heartbeat the littermates stood facing each other, hackles bristling. Then they both leaped at the same moment, colliding in the air. Hollyleaf slipped underneath his belly and raked her claws along the soft belly fur. Lionblaze howled, more out of fury than pain.

_He can't be beaten in battle. _

The thought struck as Lionblaze turned and nipped her sharply on her hind leg.

_There's no way I can win this. _

But she would try. She hissed, twisting around, trying to reach him. He was too quick, racing around her and darting in to nip her before leaping out of reach.

_Oh great StarClan, I'm going to die. _

An idea flashed into her head and she crouched low, trying to make herself as small a target as possible. She let herself slouch, trying to look defeated. _Yes, _she thought as Lionblaze moved forward, chuckling throatily. _I'm too tired to fight anymore, too weak and too hurt. _Lionblaze paused above her, raising a paw with claws unsheathed, preparing to deliver the death blow. _Yes, that's right. Kill me. _His eyes gleamed wickedly.

She leaped upward, slamming her skull as hard as she could into his chin. Lionblaze let out a gargled scream. Blood dripped from his mouth. He fell backwards.

And then Hollyleaf was standing above him, with one paw on his throat holding him down. Bright green met blazing amber.

_Could I really kill him? _

She paused.

_For my Clan? _

She stayed motionless. The question answered itself.

She sank her teeth into his throat. The taste of blood overwhelmed her, salty and tangy at the same time. The golden tabby tom—her_ littermate_—let out another blood-chilling scream.

She gasped and let go. Blood dripped from her muzzle onto his golden fur. "I'm so sorry, Lionblaze," she whispered, startled to find tears in her eyes. "It wasn't supposed to end like this."

His eyes glared at her hatefully. She had to look away. She heard him let out one more strangled gasp…

And he was dead.

_I…I…I killed him. _

She looked up. The Clan was standing motionless before her, their eyes wide with horror. Squirrelflight was still standing by Brambleclaw's body, and she looked stunned. Mousewhisker's gaze was mingled with pride and horror. Jayfeather was staring at his paws, as if unwilling to meet his sister's eyes.

And Icestorm…Icestorm was standing by the nursery, her kits gathered close to her. Her eyes held a horrible mixture of hurt and betrayal and grief. Her kits, for once, were silent. Without a word she swept into the nursery.

Thunder boomed in the distance. Hollyleaf felt a raindrop splash on her nose. Within minutes it was pouring, washing the blood from her paws. And the setting sun suddenly burst through the clouds, red light glinting off the raindrops that were now quickly disappearing, making them shine scarlet. It looked almost like it was raining blood.

_The lion will roar, the tiger will reign, and the skies will rain blood. _

The prophecy had been fulfilled!

"Hollyleaf! Hollyleaf!" the voice startled her. Mousewhisker was cheering. He was quickly joined by Squirrelflight and Jayfeather, and within heartbeats the whole Clan was cheering.

Cheering for her!

Suddenly one cat broke away from the crowd and approached her. It was Jayfeather. He bowed his head as he reached her. "Jayfeather, what are you doing?" Hollyleaf asked, puzzled.

He raised his gaze to meet hers. His eyes shone with wisdom.

"Welcome, Hollystar, leader of ThunderClan."

**Yay! Did you like it? **


	28. The Nine Lives of a Leader

**Hi everyone! I'm way too lazy to actually write something meaningful this time. **

**Disclaimer: Why can't you people leave me alone? I don't own Warriors. **

"You're sure about this, Jayfeather?" Hollyleaf asked uncertainly as she padded behind the pale gray tom.

He turned his head to look at her, and he looked annoyed. "Absolutely."

They were on their way to the Moonpool so that Hollyleaf could receive her nine lives. "What if something goes wrong?" she pressed.

"Nothing will go wrong," Jayfeather sighed. "You were chosen by StarClan. Even Firestar himself said that he wanted you to be the next deputy. Now remember, you can't talk at all once we reach the cavern."

Hollyleaf didn't feel at all reassured.

The nearly full moon bathed the night in silver. Hollyleaf shivered. She fixed her gaze to the ground and padded onward.

A heartbeat later Jayfeather spoke. "We're here."

Hollyleaf raised her gaze and almost gasped, remembering at the last moment that she shouldn't speak. The Moonpool sparkled like ice, a million stars reflected on its glowing surface. She stood in awe.

Jayfeather, who was already half-way down the curving slope, beckoned to her with his tail. Hesitantly she stepped forward.

And felt her paw slip.

She looked down in surprise. The pathway was dotted with paw-prints! There were far too many to be from the medicine cats. She felt strangely comforted. StarClan walked here. She would be safe.

Jayfeather settled down not far from the water's edge and motioned to her to join him. She walked over to meet him. He jerked his chin to the water. She bent her head. The water was icy cold and tasted of starlight. Suddenly sleepy, she curled up at the water's edge and quickly was overcome by sleep.

She was cold. Every part of her was submerged in freezing cold. For what seemed like moons she lay there, a creature made of ice, unable to move or do anything at all. And, suddenly, it was over. She blinked open her eyes. She was still in the Moonpool cavern, but now Jayfeather was nowhere to be seen. Now cats of every size and color were ringed around the cave, glowing eyes warm. She pressed her ears to her skull and crouched low.

_Welcome, Hollyleaf. _

The voice startled her and she gasped. No cat gave any sign of having spoken. The voice was inside her head.

_Are you ready to receive your nine lives?_

The question was simple, direct. Yet she found herself unable to answer. She gulped, and she spoke almost against her will.

"I am."

The first cat to break away from the throng and approach her was a pale brown tabby tom with wide amber eyes. Birchfall. Hollyleaf purred at the sight of her old denmate. Birchfall paused a paw-length away from her and touched Hollyleaf's muzzle with his nose. Hollyleaf flinched away, his touch burned like fire and ice at the same time. "With this life I give you integrity," he murmured. "Your Clan is strong and powerful, and they deserve to be treated as such."

A bolt of lightning raced through her, setting every molecule of her body alive with burning fire. She parted her jaws in a silent wail of agony. But, as quickly as it had come, it faded, leaving her panting and trembling.

_Oh, StarClan, help me get through this. _

Birchfall retreated and another cat moved forward to take his place. This cat was a beautiful golden she-cat with limpid blue eyes. Honeyfern. She too touched the tip of Hollyleaf's muzzle with her nose, and Hollyleaf forced herself to stay still. "With this life I give you faith," Honeyfern whispered. "Know that your warrior ancestors are always watching over you."

Hollyleaf braced herself, digging her claws into the soft rock. This life hurt slightly less than the first, but maybe it was the fact that all of her muscles were locked against the life. When this one faded she stood tall, ready for the next.

This time that cat that approached her was a small pale tabby she-cat with amber eyes. Leafpool. The she-cat blinked fondly at her former apprentice. "With this life I give you modesty," she murmured, touching her muzzle to the top of Hollyleaf's head. "You are a leader, but you mustn't become arrogant."

This life was gentle and warm. She drank it in gratefully, welcoming a release from the pain. "Thank you," she whispered to Leafpool's retreating back.

The next cat to approach her was small, with a beautifully marked silver pelt. Hollyleaf stifled a gasp. It was Splashkit! Her daughter padded delicately to her side and had to stretch up to touch her nose to her mother's. "With this life I give you gentleness," she mewed, her voice echoing around the cavern. "Always be calm, even under the worst circumstances."

This life was warm and gentle, too, but this time Hollyleaf could discern separate points of it. The sensation of curling up next to a soft belly, feeling safe and warm and loved. Staring at a motionless ginger body, disbelieving. Then feeling cold, so cold, wanting to be home, pleading with the black she-cat in front of her, whose green eyes shone with pain. Hollyleaf recognized herself with a pang. "I'm so sorry," she whispered brokenheartedly. "I love you."

"Don't be sorry, Mama," Splashkit meowed. "I'm safe here. I love you too." She retreated back the throng of cats, pausing beside Honeyfern. Honeyfern wrapped her tail around the silver kit, and she snuggled deep into her soft golden fur, next to a bright ginger she-kit. It was that she-kit now that approached her, her soft paws making no noise or trace of pawsteps.

"Dewkit," Hollyleaf murmured.

Dewkit stopped in front of her mother, and looked up at her with deep blue eyes. "With this life I give you serenity," she mewed as she touched her nose to her mother's. "Sometimes acting with peace in mind is better than battle."

Hollyleaf drank in the life, overcome by a fresh wave of grief for her daughters. "I love you, Mama," Dewkit whispered before she padded back to Honeyfern.

Honeyfern nuzzled the ginger she-kit. "Don't worry," she promised Hollyleaf. "I'll take care of them both, I promise."

"You'd better," Hollyleaf murmured to herself.

Next to approach her was a massive dark tabby tom, prowling across the cavern to her with the grace of a tiger, amber eyes blazing. Brambleclaw! Hollyleaf nearly cried out with joy as she recognized her father. "With this life I give you valor," he rasped, touching her ear-tip with his muzzle. "Protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life."

_Do you hereby promise to protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life? _

_I do. _

Firestar's voice echoed in her mind as she received the life, and she remembered how proud she had felt that day, the day she became a warrior, and she remembered the vow she had made, that nothing would ever come between her and her ambitions. Of course, she hadn't kept her vow, but now her dreams were finally being realized. She let out a sigh of relief as the life faded.

Six down, three to go. She gazed curiously at the starry cats, wondering who would be giving her her last few lives. The cats were cast in shadow, and she couldn't discern one cat from another until they stepped into the puddle of moonlight.

A small cat, an apprentice by the look of her, stepped away and drew near Hollyleaf. She had a dusky brown pelt and round yellow eyes. It took a moment for Hollyleaf to recognize her, but when she did, she almost gasped. Echopaw!

Echopaw pressed her muzzle to Hollyleaf's. "With this life I give you hope," she mewed, her voice lurid and musical. "Use it to guide your Clan through the darkest times."

This life was soft and sweet and gentle, intertwined with love and impossible dreams, and rich with the promise of greatness. Hollyleaf sighed contentedly, and Echopaw turned and walked away.

Next was a regal-looking pale gray she-cat with ice blue eyes. "With this life I give you honor," Bluestar mewed. "You are a leader now, and you deserve respect from all the Clans."

Turmoil overcame here, the turbulence of Bluestar's life blinding her. With a pang, she realized that Bluestar's life had been eerily similar to her own. The ambitions of becoming leader, the confusion and devotion of a forbidden love, the grief of giving up her kits…all were things Hollyleaf knew. She felt a sudden surge of sympathy for Bluestar.

Bluestar retreated, and the last cat to approach her was a fiery ginger tom that was all too-familiar. "Firestar," she breathed, delighted at the sight of her leader.

Firestar's eyes were full of pride. "Welcome, Hollyleaf," he purred. "I'm confident that I am leaving ThunderClan in capable paws." He bowed his head to touch his nose to hers. "With this life I give you loyalty," he murmured, "to your Clan, to your decisions, and, most of all, to your heart."

And, suddenly, she _was _him.

She was the kittypet on the fence post, staring yearningly at the unfamiliar forest. She was the tom that stared across the river, watching his best friend leave him behind forever. She was the handsome tom that was watching his leader die before his very eyes. She was the cat that stared awfully at the cats in front of him that smelled of fire and ice and shadow. She was the that stared at the vast mountains ahead of him, dread brewing in his belly, knowing that he was leaving his beloved home behind. She was the tom that was gazing, confused, at the dark ginger she-cat that stood at the camp entrance, three kits, one golden, one gray, and one black, huddled at her paws. She was the cat that was gazing at the black she-kit and the golden tom that were crouching in front of him, their eyes gleaming with uncertainty. Now she was the tom that was gazing at the same two cats, giving them their warrior names. The black she-cat was blushing under her fur. Once again, Hollyleaf recognized herself with a jolt. And now she was the tom that was facing off with the powerful golden tom, feeling his life ebbing away from him in a tide of blood.

When the life faded she was trembling and gasping for breath. She gazed weakly up at Firestar, waiting for him to leave. But he didn't. Even when she had recovered heartbeats later, he still did not leave. Instead, he spoke. "I hail you by your new name, Hollystar. Your old life is no more. You have received the nine lives of a leader, and StarClan grants the leadership of ThunderClan into your paws."

The StarClan cats broke into cheering. "Hollystar! Hollystar! Hollystar! Hollystar…"

Hollystar's eyes flew open.

She was back in the Moonpool cavern, Jayfeather beside her. She stood on trembling paws.

_Hollystar!_

Her new name echoed in her mind, and the full reality of what had just happened hit her like a blow. She was ThunderClan's leader now, and she had nine lives!

Jayfeather nudged her, his eyes questioning. Hollystar nodded. He sighed in relief and led the way out of the cavern.

The sky was beginning to lighten rosy-pink. "So," Jayfeather mewed, "Tell me, Hollyleaf did you get your nine lives and your name?"

"Yes," Hollystar replied. "I'm Hollystar now."

"Good," Jayfeather mewed briskly. "Come on, let's get home." He set off towards camp. Hollystar followed, only the slightest bit nervous at seeing her Clanmates, that were now hers to command.

**Woot woot Hollystar! Come on, don't yell at me, you must've known it was coming. **


	29. First Gathering

**Hey everyone!!!!! Big thanks to everyone who reviewed last chapter!!!!!!!!! **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Warriors, Erin Hunter does.**

The camp was quiet as Hollystar and Jayfeather approached it. Hollystar's gaze was drawn to three freshly dug graves. Her heart almost split with grief. She lowered her gaze and padded through the camp entrance.

Jayfeather padded to his den. Hollystar stood still, unsure of where to go. The obvious answer was Firestar's den—_her _den, she corrected herself—but she couldn't bring herself to move.

"Hollystar!"

The cry made her jump. Cloudtail was standing outside the warrior's den, waving his tail in welcome. Within heartbeats Hollystar was surrounded by moving pelts offering congratulations.

"Hollystar!"

"Hollystar, you're back!"

"Welcome back, Hollystar!"

"Did you _really _get nine lives?" Ivypaw demanded, her eyes round with awe.

"I really did," Hollystar replied.

"What was it like?" Dovepaw asked.

"I can't talk about it."

"Oh," Dovepaw mewed. "Okay."

"Listen, everyone," Hollystar mewed awkwardly, "I'm really tired, okay? I just wanna get to sleep. Besides, it's time for patrols." _Geez, I must be the first leader who avoids her Clanmates._

"But, Hollystar, who will organize the patrols?" Thornclaw inquired, tipping his head to one side.

"Err…Brackenfur," she meowed, thinking of a name at random. The tabby tom bowed his head. Cats began to crowd around him as he assigned them to various patrols.

Hollystar leaped up the highledge gratefully, looking forward to curling up and going to sleep.

Someone had cleared away Firestar's nest and left fresh moss and bracken. Hollystar scraped a nest together quickly, settling down in it and narrowing her eyes in relief.

There was a muted thud in front of her. "I thought you might want some fresh-kill," Mousewhisker murmured. He prodded the robin he had dropped in front of her.

Hollystar blinked gratefully at him. "Thank you. I love you."

"I love you too." He turned and started to pad away.

"Wait," Hollystar mewed suddenly. "Don't leave." He turned, looking back at her. "I don't want to be alone," she murmured, meeting his gaze desperately.

Mousewhisker purred warmly. "Then of course I'll stay." He settled down beside her.

Hollystar finished off the robin quickly. "Mmm…" she murmured, licking her lips. "That was the best fresh-kill I've had in ages." A sleepy mumble came from somewhere beside her. Sighing happily, she snuggled deeper into her nest and twined her tail with her mate's. She laid her chin on his shoulder and closed her eyes blissfully.

_Mousewhisker, I love you. I love you. I never want to leave you. _

With that thought in her mind, she drifted off into sleep.

When she woke again, the moon was just beginning to rise. Inside her den all was quiet. Mousewhisker's breath billowed softly beside her. Low murmurs drifted through the den entrance. For a moment, she stayed motionless, afraid if she moved she would break the spell.

_Deputy. _

The thought broke into her head and she sighed. She needed to choose one, and quickly. She had to make the announcement by moon-high.

But who to choose? She mulled the decision over.

Thornclaw? He was loyal and courageous, yes, but he was hotheaded and would rush into battle without thinking.

Cloudtail? He was a definite possibility. He was sharp-tongued, but also kind and gentle, and wise, too. Maybe.

Hazeltail? No.

Dustpelt? No.

Brackenfur? No.

Berrynose? Definitely not. Besides, he'd never even had an apprentice.

Mousewhisker? Hollystar turned to the gray and white tom by her side. She loved him, but that wasn't enough for him to be deputy. Not that she didn't trust his judgment, but he wasn't right.

Sorreltail? No.

Squirrelflight? No.

Spiderleg? No.

Goodness, Hollystar, just choose someone already!

She needed someone courageous, thoughtful, but gentle too, and wise. Someone compassionate and kind.

Someone like…

Someone like…

Someone like, well…

Ashfur.

The image of a gray-flecked tom burst into her head. Yes, Ashfur was perfect. He was everything she could ask for in a deputy. Comforted by her decision, she stood and stretched luxuriously. "Mousewhisker," she murmured absentmindedly, "It's time to wake up."

The tom blinked and yawned widely. "Did you have to wake me up?" he mewed crossly. "I was having the best dream."

"About what?" Hollystar teased, flicking him over the ear with her tail.

"You, of course," he replied.

She purred. "Come on, lazybones," she meowed. "I'm going to call a meeting."

The moonlight was blinding. Tonight night was a full moon, she realized. Her first gathering as Hollystar, leader of ThunderClan.

Mousewhisker slipped from her side and leaped down the Highledge. Hollystar took a hesitant step forward. She felt awkward. She took a deep breath.

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey join here beneath the Highledge for a Clan meeting!"

Her own voice surprised her. She sounded much more confident than she felt. Her summons were still echoing around camp as her Clan padded from the shadows and gathered beneath her. Icestorm appeared at the nursery's entrance, Cinderheart following. Cinderheart's kits gazed with wide eyes at their first Clan meeting.

Her gaze was drawn to a pair of burning golden eyes and a pelt to match. Her heart skipped a beat. It was Lionblaze, come back from the dead!

But of course it wasn't. That was impossible. As the tom came into the moonlight she realized that it was none other than Sunkit!

_He's ready to be apprenticed. _

All of Icestorm's kits were. She would take care of that after she announced her choice of deputy. Every cat in ThunderClan was gathered now, and every eye was fixed on her. Hollystar took another deep breath and began. "As you all know, ThunderClan is in need of a deputy."

A low murmur of excitement ran through the assembled cats. Hollystar continued. "I say these words before the spirits of StarClan, so that they may hear and approve my choice." She let her gaze wander over her Clan. Tension was almost tangible. She let the final words drop from her mouth like raindrops. "Ashfur will be the new deputy of ThunderClan."

There was a moment of stunned silence. Ashfur blinked quickly. "Umm…thank you Hollystar," he meowed. "I...I didn't…I never…I mean…" He ducked his head. "Just…thank you. I never expected to be given this honor. I promise, I will do I all I can to serve my Clan."

"Ashfur!" Poppyfrost cheered. "Ashfur!" He tenderly touched his nose to her's. Her eyes glowed.

_She'll be moving into the nursery soon. _

The thought made her purr. "Before you all leave," she mewed, louder, bounding down the Highledge, "There's another ceremony I would like to perform." Her Clan gazed at her curiously. "Will Snowkit, Splotchkit, and Sunkit please step forward?"

Icestorm gasped. She quickly lowered her head and licked her kits roughly. "Your fur!" she tutted. "Any cat would think you hadn't washed in moons."

Sunkit squirmed. "Get off me!" he complained. His sisters were already bouncing to the foot of the Highledge. He followed them eagerly.

Hollystar purred. Her gaze settled on the small golden and white she-kit. "Splotchkit, from this moment, until you receive your warrior name, you shall be known as Splotchpaw."

"Splotchpaw!" Icestorm called, her eyes glowing with pride for her daughter.

Hollystar scanned the crowd. "Rosefrost, you are ready for your first apprentice. Teach Splotchpaw all you know, and she will be a warrior the Clan will be proud of." Rosefrost delicately picked her way to Splotchpaw's side and touched noses with her. The pair padded back through the crowd to the edge of camp.

Snowkit was gazing at Hollystar eagerly. "Snowkit, from this moment, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Snowpaw."

"Snowpaw!" Icestorm cheered.

"Spiderleg, you will be mentor to Snowpaw. You were mentor to Bumblestripe, and he is a credit to this Clan. Teach Snowpaw all you know, and she will be a fine warrior." The gray-black tom touched noses with the white she-cat, and they too withdrew to the side of camp."

"Sunkit."

The golden tom stared at her with wide eyes. "From this moment, until you receive your warrior name, you shall be known as Sunpaw."

"Sunpaw!" Icestorm cheered.

_I want to keep an eye on him. _

"I will mentor him."

The words that fell from her mouth surprised her. Nevertheless she touched her nose to his. Sunpaw's eyes were carefully guarded. She motioned to him to wait for her by the apprentice's den. "There is one more order of business to take care of," Hollystar mewed. "Dovepaw is in need of a new mentor. Dovepaw, will you please step forward?" The fluffy gray she-cat obeyed. Hollystar thought for a moment. "Dustpelt, you will continue Dovepaw's training. Guide her paws on the path of becoming a warrior." The dusky brown warrior touched his nose to Dovepaw's, and her whisker's twitched.

"Hollystar," Berrynose called, "Who will go to the Gathering tonight? We should be leaving soon." Sunpaw and his sisters looked up eagerly.

Hollystar waved her tail idly. "Hmm…Ashfur and Jayfeather, of course, Thornclaw, Mousewhisker, Poppyfrost, Foxcatcher, Icestorm, Spiderleg, Dovepaw and Ivypaw, Sunpaw, Splotchpaw and Snowpaw, Berrynose, Cinderheart, Millie and Graystripe, Dustpelt, and Rosefrost." The cats she had named began to gather in front of the camp entrance. Mousewhisker padded to her. "Are you ready?"

"Of course," she murmured in reply, leaning into him. Pelts brushing, they padded to the camp entrance. "Ready?" she asked her Clan. There was a mumble of agreement. "Then let's go."

Their journey was uneventful. Mousewhisker kept in step with her the entire way, and his presence comforted her. When they reached the island he paused. "You can go first," he mewed.

She shook her head. "I need to make sure everyone gets across."

One by one her Clanmates leaped and crossed the tree-bride. When the last cat--Graystripe—had made his way across, Hollystar leaped and crossed herself.

Her Clan was gathered by the water's edge. At Hollystar's silent nod they padded through the underbrush into the clearing.

So far RiverClan was the only Clan present. Mistystar sat crouched on one of the Great Oak's roots, her eyes half-closed and looking far away. Hollystar padded to her fellow leader uncertainly. "Hello," she mewed.

Mistystar seemed to jolt awake. "Oh, good evening, Hollyleaf. Where's Firestar?"

Hollystar sat beside the root. "He died last sunrise."

"Oh!" Mistystar looked devastated. "Did he? Where's Bramblestar, then?"

"Bramble_claw,_" Hollystar empathized the last part of the name, "died last sunrise, as well."

"Did he?" Mistystar's eyes narrowed suspiciously.

"I didn't kill him," Hollystar murmured. "Either of them." Unconsciously she began pouring out everything that had happened last sunrise. "And now I'm leader," she finished.

Mistystar's eyes were wide. "So…Lionblaze killed both Brambleclaw _and _Firestar? I don't believe it! He was such a good warrior."

"He was," Hollystar murmured, "I don't think any of us expected that of him."

The leaders were distracted by the arrival of Blackstar and ShadowClan. "Evening, Mistystar, Hollyleaf," the white tom rasped, approaching them.

"I'm Holly_star _now," Hollystar mewed.

Blackstar looked at her curiously. "What do you mean? What happened to Brambleclaw and Firestar?" Hollystar only cast her gaze downward. She didn't feel like explaining again.

Thankfully, Blackstar didn't ask any more questions, only leaped onto a branch on the Great Oak. "Have any of you seen Onestar yet?"

"No," Hollystar replied, "and there was no sign of him on our way here."

Mistystar leaped up onto a branch beside Blackstar. She settled there, licking a paw idly and drawing it over ear. "Aren't you coming?" she inquired of Hollystar.

"Oh…yes…I'm coming." She bunched her muscles and sprang, aiming for a limb just between Blackstar's and Mistystar's. The bark was slippery! She struggled to get a grip. "I little help would be nice," she growled, scrabbling for a clawhold.

Mistystar purred. "Here." She lunged, grabbing Hollystar's scruff in her jaws, hauling her up onto the branch.

Hollystar sat and wrapped her tail around her paws, blushing furiously. "Don't…ever…mention…that…again…" she panted, glaring at both Blackstar and Mistystar in turn. Mistystar's whiskers twitched, and Blackstar rolled his eyes.

Beneath them, Ashfur, Blackclaw, and Russetfur were settling themselves on protruding roots. Ashfur looked a bit embarrassed to be surrounded by the elder deputies. He kept his head down and his ears pressed to his skull.

At the edge of the clearing, almost shielded from view by an elder bush, the medicine cats sat. Mothwing and Littlecloud were chatting cordially, and Flamepaw was listening to them intently. Willowshine and Jayfeather were sitting with their heads close together, murmuring softly to one another. Hollystar felt a prickling of unease.

All of a sudden the undergrowth rustled and Onestar stormed into the clearing, his warriors streaming along behind him. Barkface and Kestrelspots padded to join the medicine cats, Onestar and Breezepelt headed to the Great Oak, and the rest of the WindClan warriors settled themselves among the crowd. In one lithe bound, he sprang to up to join Mistystar, Blackstar, and Hollystar. Hollystar noticed that the WindClan leader looked unusually frail. Nodding his head curtly to the other leaders, he padded to the end of the branch and opened his mouth wide. "Let all Clans gather here beneath StarClan!"

Slowly every cat came to gather beneath the Great Oak, their eyes glowing in the gloom. A soft murmur raced around the crowd as they realized that Firestar's flame-colored pelt was nowhere to be found. Ashfur, Breezepelt, Blackclaw, and Russetfur sat on their haunches and gazed up at their leaders.

"I'll begin." Mistystar mewed. "RiverClan has been treated well this moon. One of our apprentices, Cougarpaw, has become a warrior. His name is now Cougarheart."

A warrior?! Already?! But he had only been training for three moons! Hollystar quickly scanned the throng for Cougarheart's familiar pelt. She spotted the young tom, sitting with his chest puffed out. She was surprised at how quickly the tom had grown, now he was as big as any warrior, his pelt was shiny over a muscular frame.

Mistystar bowed her head. "Besides that, RiverClan has little else to report." She looked expectantly at the other leaders.

"I'll speak next," Onestar mewed. "Sunstrike has given birth to a new litter of five healthy kits!" He waited for the cheering to die down. "Their names are Firkit, Frostkit, Starkit, Iriskit, and Rainkit!" He paused again. "And one of our apprentices, Duskypaw, has become a warrior. She is now known as Duskyflower."

"Duskyflower! Duskyflower!" cheered Antpelt. He gave the dark gray she-cat a swift lick on her cheek. She leaned into him, her blue eyes glowing.

Blackstar spoke next. "Prey is running well, now that new-leaf is here. ShadowClan has little to report."

And now it was her time to speak! Hollystar took a deep breath, unsure of how to begin. "Cats of all Clans, ThunderClan has sad news. Firestar is dead."

"Where is Brambleclaw, then?" A cat at the back of the clearing yowled.

Hollystar's ears twitched nervously. "Because of a series of events far too intricate to go into right now, Brambleclaw is dead also."

A murmur ran through the other Clans, and more than one cat was glaring at her suspiciously. She lashed her tail. "Fine! You want the story?! I'll give it to you. Lionblaze killed Brambleclaw." There was a shocked silence. Hollystar went on ruthlessly. "After a patrol found his body and brought it back to camp, Lionblaze admitted to his crime. He killed Firestar. He was going to take over the forest. I killed him." The silence stretched longer. "StarClan named me the new leader. I went to the Moonstone and received my nine lives. I am now Hollystar. Are you satisfied?"

Every cat was staring at her in disbelief, including her own Clanmates, shocked by her outburst. "Ashfur is my deputy." Still no cat spoke. "In other news, ThunderClan brings three new apprentices to this Gathering. Icestorm's kits have become apprentices, and now are known as Sunpaw, Snowpaw, and Splotchpaw."

Finally the silence was broken by congratulatory purrs. "That's all," Hollystar mewed, relived.

Mistystar padded forward a step. "This Gathering has come to an end." She leaped onto the ground and summoned her Clan with a wave of her tail. Nodding politely to the other leaders, she and her warriors left. Blackstar followed her example and left with a mere, "See you next moon."

Hollystar turned to Onestar. "May StarClan walk with you," she mewed.

Onestar nodded. "Same to you, Hollystar." He, too, left, his warriors following.

"Hollystar!" Thornclaw yowled. "Are you going to stand here all night?"

"I'm coming," she mewed, bounding gracefully to the ground. Nodding silently to her warriors, who assembled behind her, she started sprinting for home.

**Yikes….looooooooooooooong……….good, cuz it's taken me almost a month to finish. *glares at screen* Damn you writer's block! I will get you back someday!**

**Reviews?**


	30. A New Leader

**Hello everyone! Nice to see you all again!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Warriors, Erin Hunter does.**

**Note: I am skipping forward…A LOT. Hey, don't blame me, Erin Hunter does it all the time.**

Hollystar purred happily. It was sunset, and she was laying on the Highledge with her paws hanging over the edge, surveying the camp. As she watched, the sunhigh patrol padded through the gorse tunnel; Dustpelt, Briarshadow, Icestorm, Spiderleg, and his apprentice, Snowpaw. Briarshadow carried a plump thrush in her jaws. She deposited it on the fresh-kill pile and vanished into the warrior's den with a swish of her tail. Poppyfrost emerged from the nursery, her belly swollen with Ashfur's kits. Rosefrost followed her; she had just found out she was pregnant with Foxcatcher's kits. The two queens settled side-by-side in the sun. Cinderheart pushed her way through the brambles to sit beside them, her kits tumbling around her paws. Berrynose emerged from the warriors den and padded to his mate's side. Cinderheart greeted him with a purr, and the two of them settled to watch their kits play. Blizzardkit ventured to the medicine den. "Come away from there," Berrynose scolded his son. "I don't want you getting under Jayfeather's paws." Blizzardkit sat down with a sigh.

Jayfeather materialized from the medicine den and padded briskly to the apprentice's den, a bundle of herbs gripped in his jaws. "What's wrong?" Hollystar called.

Jayfeather set down the herbs. "Splotchpaw says she feels ill," he called back. "I was bringing her some coltsfoot."

"Can I help?" Blizzardkit asked eagerly, his tail waving excitedly.

"Of course not!" Cinderheart mewed. "You could get sick."

"Aww, Mama!" Blizzardkit whined as Jayfeather slipped into the apprentice's den.

"No," Cinderheart growled.

"Actually, you can," Jayfeather meowed, reemerging from the den. Blizzardkit's eyes lit up. "Do you know what feverfew smells like?" The kit nodded excitedly. "Could you fetch me some? It's near the front of the store." The kit stood and raced for the medicine den.

"I wish you wouldn't encourage him," Cinderheart sighed. "What if he eats something he shouldn't?"

"Blizzardkit's nearly old enough to be apprenticed," Jayfeather pointed out. "And he knows a few of the herbs. He'll be fine."

The cream-colored kit appeared at the entrance of the medicine den, something dark and leafy gripped in his jaws. He padded to Jayfeather and dropped the herbs. "Is this it?" he asked.

Jayfeather bent his head and sniffed the herbs. "Yes," he purred. "Very good." The kit's eyes shone with the praise. "Would you go make a nest for Splotchpaw in the medicine den?" the tabby tom asked. "It will be easier to treat her there."

Hollystar padded down the Highledge. "She will be okay?" she asked anxiously.

Jayfeather dipped his head. "I think so. It's not whitecough or greencough. She should be fine in a few sunrises."

A golden tabby tom padded through the gorse barrier and headed straight for Hollystar, his eyes gleaming.

Hollystar greeted him with a wave of her tail. "How's the prey running?" she asked him.

Sunpaw dropped the two voles he had caught. "Great!"

Hollystar praised her apprentice with a lick over his ear. "Well done." Sunpaw's eyes shone. "In fact," she continued, "I think you should go to the Gathering tonight."

"Yes!" he yowled. It wasn't his first Gathering, but he couldn't have look more excited if it was.

Hollystar purred. "Go get something to eat," she told him. "Then rest. We have a little while until we're to leave yet." Sunpaw dipped his head to his leader and mentor and padded to the fresh-kill pile.

"Hollystar?" a voice asked from behind her. "A word?"

She spun. It was Jayfeather. He waved his tail to the medicine den. "In private?"

"Of course."

Splotchpaw was curled up in a soft nest of moss, breathing deeply. Blizzardkit was standing by the small pool, soaking a wad of moss for her. Picking up the wet moss in his teeth, he padded over to her and dropped it in front of her. Hollystar realized that the young kit looked just like a real medicine cat.

Jayfeather padded to the small tom. "You can go now," he told him gently. "Tell your mother how well you did." Blizzardkit nodded eagerly and raced out of the den. Jayfeather sat, and motioned at Hollystar to do the same. "Cinderheart's kits are ready to be apprenticed," he mewed.

"I know," Hollystar replied. "I spoke to Berrynose and Cinderheart yesterday. The ceremony is going to be held tomorrow at moonhigh."

Jayfeather nodded. "Have you decided on mentors for them yet?"

"Ashfur and I have. Sandstorm is going to mentor Foamkit, Bumblestripe is going to mentor Honeykit, and Toadleap is going to mentor Blizzardkit."

Jayfeather nodded again. "I think Blizzardkit would make a good medicine cat."

"You do?"

"He already knows a few of the herbs, he's very caring towards his Clanmates, and he has an instinct for finding wounds."

"He does?" Hollystar asked curiously.

"Yesterday Sorreltail came back from a patrol limping. She thought she had just stepped on a stone, but then Blizzardkit came over and told her she had a thorn in her paw and to go see me. She did, and it was so buried in her pad that she couldn't even see it." Jayfeather paused, and purred. "She said she'd never heard a kit sound so bossy!"

Hollystar flicked her tail. "So you want him to be your apprentice?"

"Yes."

"That can be arranged," she mewed. "Have you spoken to him about it?"

"Not yet, though I can tell he wants to."

Hollystar nodded slowly. "Alright…" she started to pad away. "Get ready to leave for the Gathering, Jayfeather. We're going to be leaving soon."

"Hollystar!" Mousewhisker called, padding to her. She greeted him with a purr and touched her nose to his. "How much time do we have until we have to leave?" he demanded.

Hollystar glanced at the sky. "A little while yet."

Mousewhisker purred. "Do you think you'd have time for a warrior ceremony?"

"Why?" Hollystar asked curiously.

"Ivypaw and her sister are ready to be made warriors."

"Of course," Hollystar promised, leaping up the Highledge. "Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey join here beneath the Highledge for a Clan meeting!" she yowled. She bounded back down as cats began to gather. Excitement twitched in her claws. This would be the very first warrior ceremony she performed. Her mind raced as she attempted to choose names for the two young she-cats.

Finally every cat was gathered. "Cats of ThunderClan," she purred, "tonight we gather to welcome two of our apprentices as warriors." There was an audible gasp from the crowd as Whitewing hurried to her daughters. Dovepaw and Ivypaw were sitting close together, their eyes wide in shock. They hardly flinched as their mother started to hurriedly groom them. "Will Ivypaw and Dovepaw please step forward?"

Without another heartbeat's hesitation, Dovepaw shouldered her way through the crowd to stand in front of her leader. Ivypaw followed a bit more hesitantly. Grinning at the two apprentices, she fixed her gaze on the sky and the gradually appearing Silverpelt. The stars twinkled merrily down at her, giving her confidence. She hoped that Dovepaw and her sister would like the names she had picked out. "I, Hollystar, leader of ThunderClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on these apprentices. They have trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend them to you as warriors in their turn. Ivypaw, Dovepaw, do you hereby promise to follow the warrior code and to protect and defend this Clan, even at the cost of your life?"

"I do," Ivypaw mewed, her eyes shining with emotion.

"I do," meowed Dovepaw, her pelt bristling with excitement.

"Then by the powers of StarClan I give you your warrior names. Dovepaw, from this moment you shall be known as Doveflight. StarClan honors your compassion and your sincerity, and welcome you as a full warrior of ThunderClan." Feeling strangely awkward, Hollystar bent her head and laid her muzzle on the bowed head of the new warrior. Doveflight licked her shoulder quickly, and backed away to join the ranks of her fellow warriors.

Hollystar turned her gaze to the gray and white she-cat crouching before her. "Ivypaw, from this moment you shall be known as Ivyspeckle. StarClan honors your determination and your loyalty, and welcome you as a full warrior of ThunderClan." Ivyspeckle ducked her head quickly as Hollystar touched her nose to her ear, and gave her a hoarse purr of thanks as she licked her shoulder.

"Doveflight! Ivyspeckle! Doveflight! Ivyspeckle!" The Clan broke into cheers. Whitewing cheered loudest of all, her voice bursting with pride for her daughters. For a moment, Hollystar swore she saw the faintest outline of a brown tabby tom beside her, amber eyes gleaming with love.

_So Birchfall got to see his daughters become warriors after all._

Suddenly Hollystar felt a pang of grief. _I'll never get to see my own kits' warrior ceremonies. _

Hollystar waited for the cheering to die down. "Doveflight and Ivyspeckle will hold their vigil when they get back from the Gathering. In fact," she glanced at the sky, "we should be leaving right about now." Gradually the crowd broke up. Cinderheart bid good-bye to her mate as he joined the steadily growing crowd by the entrance, called her kits to her and dissapeared back into the nursery. Poppyfrost followed, and Rosefrost joined the warriors that were gathering by the entrance. Sunpaw, Snowpaw close by his side, raced to the crowd and skidded to a stop beside Dustpelt. Brackenfur stretched and retreated to the warrior's den. Doveflight and Ivyspeckle exchanged excited glances and joined the throng. Doveflight met up with Toadleap, and the tom twined his tail with hers. Ivyspeckle sat and started washing. Bumblestripe wandered to her side, and the two warriors struck up a friendly conversation. Jayfeather emerged from the medicine den and sat beside Cloudtail. Hollystar nodded good-bye to Mousewhisker and joined her Clanmates. "Are we ready to leave?" she asked Ashfur. Her deputy nodded, and she plunged through the thorn barrier, her Clanmates filing out beside her.

She led the way, Ashfur a few pawsteps behind, as they sprinted to the island. She slowed as they reached marshy RiverClan territory, savoring the warm night. She kept pace with Hazeltail, chatting warmly with her friend. Finally they reached the tree-bridge. She stepped back and waited for her Clanmates to cross. She followed a heartbeat after every cat had reached the other side.

She tasted the air as her pads touched soft sand. There was no other cat scent on the island. ThunderClan was the first to arrive tonight.

Her Clanmates settled themselves around the clearing. Jayfeather headed to his usual bush by the edge of the clearing, where the medicine cats sat. Hollystar strode to the Great Oak and leaped onto one of the protruding roots.

ShadowClan scent filtered through the air. A moment later a huge white tom forced his way through the brambles, picking his black paws high over the grass. "Blackstar!" Hollystar called in greeting. "Welcome."

Blackstar's patrol weaved themselves among Hollystar's Clanmates. A low murmur of friendly conversation began between the two Clans. Littlecloud and Flamepaw joined Jayfeather beneath the bush. Blackstar, closely followed by a powerful-looking dark gray tom and Ashfur, headed to the Great Oak. The two gray toms sat together in the shade of one of the massive roots, talking quietly. Blackstar propelled himself up onto a root not far from the ThunderClan leader. "Greetings, Hollystar," he mewed warmly. "StarClan has treated you well, I trust?"

"Very well," Hollystar replied. "And ShadowClan?"

"Very well indeed."

Blackstar sat and started washing. Hollystar crouched on the root and half-narrowed her eyes blissfully as a cool breeze wafted through the grassy clearing. Suddenly Blackstar spoke. "WindClan is here."

Hollystar raised her head and opened her mouth. Sure enough, she could taste the warm, rabbity scent of WindClan on the air. But she couldn't spot Onestar's woodsy pelt or wiry frame. Much to her surprise, it was Breezepelt who led the WindClan patrol into the Gathering. She gazed at him curiously. "Hello, Breezepelt," she mewed as he approached.

He leaped onto a branch beside her. "My name is Breezestar now."

"W-wha…" Hollystar faltered. "_Breezestar?_"

The black tom nodded curtly. "Onestar died nearly three sunrises ago."

"ThunderClan is sorry for your loss…" Hollystar mewed awkwardly. "But you'll make a great leader."

Breezestar finally turned his head to look at her, and, much to her surprise, his eyes were chips of yellow ice. She flinched slightly, remembering when he had gazed at her as if she were the most beautiful cat in the forest.

She missed that.

"WindClan thanks you for your concern," he meowed, and his voice was as frosty as his eyes. "But our business is not yours."

They were distracted by the arrival of Mistystar and RiverClan. Hollystar pretended not to notice the way Jayfeather leaped to his paws with a warm purr when he spotted Willowshine. When the RiverClan leader had leaped gracefully onto a branch beside her fellow leaders, Hollystar padded to the edge of the limb she was standing on. "Let all Clans gather beneath StarClan!" She felt strange yowling the words that had been spoken over and over through generations of Clan cats, even stranger when every cat abandoned their conversation and turned their gaze to her.

Breezestar stood. "I will speak first," he announced. "WindClan brings sad news this moon. Dispite the warm weather and plentiful prey, Onestar fell fatally ill. Barkface and Kestrelspots did their best to get him well, but their efforts were in vain. Onestar is dead." Shocked gazes rested on the new WindClan leader. "I went to the Moonpool and received my nine lives and new name. Emberfoot is my deputy."

There was silence, and then a cheer arose. "Breezestar! Breezestar!" the Clans cheered. Hollystar noticed that Breezestar's mother, the WindClan she-cat Nightcloud, cheered loudest of all for her son. Simultaneously Hollystar's heart twisted and filled with hope. _I wish I had that with my kits. Who knows, maybe one day they'll become leader, too! After all, Mistystar did and she's half-ThunderClan._

"WindClan also brings happier news," Breezestar yowled. "We bring three new apprentices to this Gathering. Their names are Driftpaw, Eaglepaw, and Moonpaw!"

_Apprentices! My kits are apprentices!_

She purred warmly and searched the throng for her kits. She spotted them sitting close beside Heathertail. There was a smaller, slender, gray and cream-colored she-cat who was pressed closest to the WindClan queen; Hollystar figured that must be Driftpaw. Moonpaw and Eaglepaw were crowded close, their eyes shining. She was shocked at how much they had grown. Were they really the little scraps of fur that had nuzzled into her belly, searching for milk that she couldn't give? Were they really the small bundles that she had nearly given her life to give life to? She purred.

"Hollystar? Would you like to speak?" Breezestar asked politely, stepping back.

"Oh, um, yes." She stood. "StarClan has treated ThunderClan very well this moon. We bring two new warriors this Gathering, Doveflight and Ivyspeckle." There was a cheer for the new warriors. "In other news, kits will be born to Rosefrost and Foxcatcher in the next few moons." Purrs rose among the Clanmates.

"Congratulations, Rosefrost!" the RiverClan warrior Petalfur cheered. Hollystar wondered if the two she-cats were friends. "The forest is rich in prey, and we have no problem at all feeding ourselves." She nodded her head to the other leaders.

Blackstar stood. "ShadowClan is thriving. We have two new litters of kits, and another soon to be born." He waited for the cheering to die down. "We have two new apprentices, Sloepaw and Barkpaw. We also bring three new warriors to this Gathering, Stargazer, Cresentclaw, and Daffodilheart!" There was a congratulatory cheer for the new warriors. "It grieves me to report the death of my deputy, Russetfur. She joined StarClan five moonrises ago. Scorchfur is my new deputy." The dark gray tom that had followed Ashfur to the edge of the Great Oak puffed out his chest. "Our territory is rich in prey this greenleaf, and we too have no problem feeding ourselves." Blackstar finished.

Mistystar padded to the end of her branch. "RiverClan is well too," she announced. "We also bring a new warrior, Spikefur!" She paused, glancing at Breezestar. "Two sunrises ago a patrol of my warrior chased a badger that had made its set near Horseplace over the border and into WindClan territory. We haven't seen it since."

Breezestar rolled his eyes. "Thank you, Mistystar. A badger with its den in our territory is just what WindClan needs." His voice dripped with sarcasm.

"Other than that, the fish are plentiful." Mistystar ended.

Blackstar waved his tail. "The Gathering is over."

Hollystar leaped off her branch and felt her pads graze past soft moss. She arched her back in a long, rolling stretch. She padded towards the bush where the medicine cats gathered, only to pause when she realized her brother was nowhere in sight. She nodded to Ashfur to gather their patrol, and slipped away to find the gray-furred medicine cat.

She followed his scent trail to the edge of the island. She froze when she heard soft voices and saw two moon-washed pelts standing close together at the shore with their backs to her. "This can't go on," a soft voice was meowing.

An impatient growl met her words. Hollystar raised her head cautiously, and had to keep herself from gasping. One of the cats, the one who was glaring at the other with his eyes blazing, was obviously Jayfeather. The other was smaller, her pelt washed silver, flicking her striped tail nervously. It was Willowshine.

"Of course it can," Jayfeather replied.

"But—"

Jayfeather brushed his tail-tip against her muzzle, silencing her. "Do you love me?" he murmured.

"What—"

"Do you love me?" Jayfeather repeated, his voice urgent, demanding.

"More than you'll ever know," Willowshine whispered, leaning into him.

Jayfeather purred, sounding warmer than Hollystar had ever heard him. "I love you too," he murmured, his voice so soft that Hollystar had to strain to hear. "It'll all work out somehow."

"But we're from different Clans, and we're medicine cats!" Willowshine's voice cracked with despair.

"That's a bit of a problem," her brother admitted. He pressed his flank to her and twined their tails. "But it doesn't matter any."

Willowshine was silent, and when she spoke, her voice was weighed down with resigned certainty. "StarClan will never allow our kits to lead good lives."

Kits? Hollystar pricked her ears. Willowshine was _pregnant? _With _Jayfeather's _kits?

"Don't say that!" Jayfeather growled. "StarClan _won't _punish innocent kits for mistakes their parents made." But Hollystar could tell he wasn't as certain as he sounded. Perhaps he was thinking of her own kits, two of them dead before they had the chance to lead good lives. Or perhaps he was thinking of how Hollystar had felt when she gave up her kits, and didn't want Willowshine to experience the same. Or perhaps…_StarClan won't punish innocent kits for mistakes their parents made. _Yes, Hollystar had made a mistake, a dreadful one, and now her brother had made the same.

Suddenly Jayfeather pricked his ears. "You can come out now, Hollystar."

Sheepishly Hollystar slunk out of the ferns. Jayfeather crouched and lashed his tail; Willowshine's eyes were wide with horror. "How much did you hear?" he demanded.

"Everything," Hollystar mewed.

Willowshine laid her ears against her skull. "I'd better go," she mumbled, and slunk away.

"Jayfeather, how could you?" Hollystar hissed as soon as she was out of earshot.

Jayfeather drew himself to his full height, and, with a shock, Hollystar realized that her brother had actually grown bigger than her. "How could _I_?" he snarled. "How could _I_? How could _you, _of all cats, say that! If I remember right, _you _know better than most about forbidden loves."

"I made a mistake," she admitted, her voice quivering. "But _Willowshine?_"

"Hmph," he snorted. "I could ask you the same thing. Breezepelt—sorry, Breezestar? He is the most annoying cat in the forest, surely you must know that."

"Don't say that about him!" Hollystar growled, anger rising in a scarlet tide in her. For a moment she wanted to leap at him and claw his ears off; she could almost feel his blood on her paws. But then the vision faded and she was left shocked and scared, terrified of what she had almost did.

"Willowshine is beautiful and amazing and gentle and sweet," Jayfeather continued, his eyes going misty. "I'm lucky to have a cat like her love me."

"She _shouldn't _love you!" Hollystar mewed, exasperated. Couldn't her brother see?

Jayfeather's gaze turned cold. "I don't get how you could tell me that," he mewed, his voice frosty. "I'm not the only cat to make a mistake like this, and I certainly won't be the last." He whipped around and stalked away, pausing after a few heartbeats to look back over his shoulder. "Sometimes you can be such a hypocrite, Hollystar." He vanished into the ferns.

Hollystar didn't move. Her thoughts were in turmoil; grief, overwhelming grief, confusion, disbelief, shock. Bittersweet memories, long buried, surfaced, and she became lost in visions of soft black fur, warm yellow eyes, musky rabbit scent, and the warm glow of love. She stood there for what seemed liked seasons on end.

"Hollystar!" Ashfur's impatient yowl startled her. "Hollystar, where are you? Are we going to stand here all night?" She stood, shaking off the memories, and went to join her Clan.

**Yay! It's done! Finally!**

**And so, reviews?**


	31. Kits and Apprentices

**Heeeeeeey everyone! For once, I don't have a meaningless message to give you! O.o**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Warriors. Will you people pleeeeeease get off my back? **

Hollystar sprung. Her outstretched claws met brown fur, and she sank her teeth into it, tasting a warm gush of blood, and felt a heartbeat's satisfaction at her kill.

"Nice catch, Hollystar!" Sunpaw called.

Hollystar sat up with the vole dangling from her jaws. Sunlight dappled her pelt, warm on her black fur. She carried it to the roots of a maple tree, and dropped in before digging a shallow hole in the undergrowth. She covered her prey with dirt before turning back on her Clanmates.

She was on a hunting patrol with Sandstorm, Berrynose, and her apprentice, Sunpaw. "We should get back to camp," Berrynose told Hollystar.

"Relax," Sandstorm purred. "Hollystar isn't going to perform the apprenticeship ceremony without you, especially since she's standing right in front of us."

Hollystar smiled at the pale ginger she-cat. "All the same, it's getting late. We should be going." She picked up the vole and motioned to the others to gather their prey. Berrynose had brought down a massive blackbird, with a spectacular leap that almost convinced Hollystar that he was a flying cat. Sandstorm had managed to catch three mice and a shrew. Sunpaw was carrying a rabbit that was almost as big as he was. She was pleased with the way her apprentice's hunting skills were coming on. Hollystar herself had killed a thrush and two squirrels, and her vole as well. Hollystar wished that every day could be like this; warm sunlight, a bird singing somewhere in the distance, and plenty of prey.

The four ThunderClan cats trekked back to camp, but when they got there, it was strangely silent. The only cat in sight was Cloudtail, who was eating by the Halfrock. "What's going on?" Hollystar asked the white tom, the fur on the back of her neck rising as a wail split the air.

"Every cat is either on patrol or out hunting," he answered. "Ashfur said the weather was too nice to be wasted, and put me in charge of camp."

"And the wailing?" Hollystar asked, her ears swiveling as it sounded again.

"I think Poppyfrost is kitting."

Cinderheart slid from the nursery entrance, her kits at her paws. Berrynose nodded to his mate with a purr. Cinderheart returned the greeting. "Be quiet now," she warned her kits as they bounced around her paws. "Don't disturb Poppyfrost."

"So she is kitting, then?" Hollystar asked her friend.

Cinderheart nodded. "Yes. It'll be good," she added absentmindedly, gazing at her kits as they played. "The nursery hasn't had new kits in moons."

"Poppyfrost's will make good warriors," Hollystar agreed. "And so will yours."

Gradually cats returned to camp, almost every one clutching prey in their jaws. They each pricked their ears at Poppyfrost's agonized cries as she kitted, and each purred happily as they learned what was going on from their Clanmates. They settled in groups around the edges of camp, eating and sharing tongues. The last cat to arrive was Ashfur, a plump chaffinch gripped in his teeth. "What's going on?" he demanded as Poppyfrost moaned again.

"Poppyfrost is having her kits," Hollystar answered her deputy, her mouth full.

Ashfur let the prey drop from his jaws. "What?" he demanded, his blue eyes wide and worried, yet somehow annoyed as well. "Why did no cat fetch me?" He vanished into the nursery, clearly terrified for his mate. He reappeared a heartbeat later, lashing his tail anxiously. "She doesn't want me there," he mewed, his voice trembling. "Is she going to okay?"

Cloudtail padded to the gray warrior, resting his tail comfortingly on his flank. "It's alright," he mewed. "Queens just don't like their mates around when they give birth. Why, I remember that Brightheart almost clawed my ears off when Whitewing was born!" Ashfur looked relieved, and joined the rest of the Clan, each of whom was waiting anxiously for Jayfeather to appear.

A little while later Jayfeather emerged at the nursery entrance, his eyes tired but satisfied. "The kits have been born!" he called. "Two toms and two she-kits."

A general purr of happiness echoed around the camp. Ashfur leapt to his paws and raced to the nursery to see his kits. Hollystar bounded up the Highledge, brushing her pelt against her brother's as she passed. "Stay out here," she whispered, "I have something I promised Cinderheart I would do." She reached the entrance to her den. "Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey join here beneath the Highledge for a Clan meeting!" she yowled.

They gathered quickly. "Cats of ThunderClan," Hollystar purred, "today we welcome Ashfur and Poppyfrost's kits into our Clan."

"Ashfur! Poppyfrost!" they cheered.

"And there is another ceremony I promised one of our queen's I would perform today." She flicked her tail. "Will Honeykit, Foamkit, and Blizzardkit please step forward?"

Cinderheart had groomed her kits until their pelts shone. The three of them scampered to stand at the foot of the Highledge, each shouldering the others out of way to be first. Hollystar's whiskers twitched. "Today we welcome three of our kits as apprentices." She motioned to the pretty silver tabby. "Foamkit, from this moment, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Foampaw." She let her gaze sweep over her Clan. "Sandstorm, you will be mentor to her. You were mentor to—" she paused. _There's no way I'm going to mention Honeyfern. _"—Sorreltail, and ThunderClan trusts that you will pass on all the skills you taught her to Foampaw." The ginger she-cat stepped forward and touched noses with the young she-cat. Her blue eyes shone.

"Honeykit." Hollystar waved her tail at the golden tabby. "From this moment, until you receive your warrior name, you shall be known as Honeypaw. Bumblestripe, you will be mentor to young Honeypaw. You are a young warrior, but you have courage and skill, and ThunderClan trusts that you will pass them on to your new apprentice." Bumblestripe, looking stunned, pushed his way through the crowd to touch his muzzle to Honeypaw's, and they padded away.

"Blizzardkit." Hollystar gazed warmly at the young cream-colored tom, who she knew was going to be the next medicine cat of ThunderClan. "From this moment you will be known as Blizzardpaw." The tom trembled as he awaited her choice of mentor. "Jayfeather." The word dripped from her lips. Blizzardpaw looked as if he couldn't believe his ears, but his eyes gleamed with delight. Hollystar remembered with a pang how she had felt when she learned that she was going to be Leafpool's apprentice. It was too bad that StarClan had marked out a different path for her. "StarClan has chosen this young tom to be your apprentice, and we trust that you will teach him the ways of the medicine cat."

The gray tom padded forward and touched his muzzle to Blizzardpaw's, the cream tom still looked like he couldn't believe his eyes. The two toms padded to the medicine den. "Come on, Blizzardpaw," Hollystar could hear Jayfeather meowing. "I'll teach you the names of all the herbs."

"Great!" the apprentice enthused.

"Foampaw! Honeypaw! Blizzardpaw!" Cinderheart and Berrynose cheered for their kits. Their Clanmates joined in, and within heartbeats the entire Clan was cheering for the new apprentices. As for Hollystar, she didn't move, only settled herself on the Highledge.

Her Clan was strong.

That wasn't going to change.

Not for a long time.

**Reviews?**

**Oh yeah, and I'm going to warn you. The chapters are going be getting shorter and shorter as we near the end. **

**O.O Yes, I know. We're getting close to the end! Doesn't it seem as if I've been working on this for forever? It sure does it me. **


	32. Under Pressure

**Heeeeeeeeey everyone!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Warriors. Get over it.**

When Hollystar woke the next morning, it was barely dawn, and the birds were just beginning to chirp. She stood and stretched, kinking her tail over her back. Stifling a yawn, she padded from her den.

Not many of her Clanmates were awake. As she bounded down the Highledge, she spotted Sorreltail and Brackenfur sharing tongues in the shadow of the Highledge, Dustpelt and Cloudtail sharing a chaffinch not far away from them, and Foxcatcher was gulping down a shrew in front of his den. Snowpaw was grooming herself outside the apprentice's den, her white fur gleaming in the twilight, her blue eyes still bleary with exhaustion. As she watched, Spiderleg emerged from the warriors den, Blossomsplash at his heels. He called to the white she-cat, and the three cats padded through the gorse barrier. Hollystar figured that they were the dawn patrol.

Ashfur slipped from the nursery and padded to the fresh-kill pile. The gray warrior looked drained, but his blue eyes gleamed with happiness. "How are the kits?" Hollystar asked him, flicking her ears.

"Perfect," Ashfur purred. "Strong and healthy. And they're all absolutely beautiful."

"Have you given them names yet?" she inquired, wanting to know more about the newest warriors of her Clan.

"Yes. The toms are Poplarkit and Smokykit, and the she-kits are Lilackit and Lavenderkit."

"Those are beautiful names," Hollystar purred.

"Aren't they? Poppyfrost thought of them. Smokykit is dark gray, like me, Lilackit and Poplarkit are a paler gray, and Lavenderkit is tortoishell and white, like her mother."

Foxcatcher padded from where he had been eating and vanished into the nursery. Hollystar figured he was going to see Rosefrost. Ashfur picked up a plump sparrow from the pile and followed the ginger tom. Hollystar chose a mouse for herself and joined Cloudtail and Dustpelt. "Morning," she greeted them. Both toms nodded, their mouths full. "Who's up for a patrol?" she asked them.

"Not me," Dustpelt mumbled. "I did the midnight patrol with Hazeltail and Brairshadow. I just want to rest."

"I'll go," Cloudtail yawned, getting to his paws. "I could do with something to wake me up."

"Alright," Hollystar mewed. "I'll go see if anyone else wants to come." She padded up to the warriors den. "Patrol?" she called, poking her head into the den.

Thornclaw heaved himself to his paws. "I'll go," he muttered.

"Me too," added Cinderheart. "I need to get back into shape from being in the nursery for so long."

Hollystar padded to where Cloudtail was waiting. "Thornclaw and Cinderheart are coming," she mewed.

The gold tom and the gray she-cat joined them, and Hollystar led the way out of camp. The four of them raced for the WindClan border. Hollystar's paws skimmed the ground, she felt as if she were a bird.

Cloudtail, who was ahead of her by a pawstep, suddenly stopped dead. Hollystar barreled into him. "Great StarClan, Cloudtail," she hissed irritably. "What's the matter with you? Have you got bees in your brain?"

Cloudtail's blue eyes narrowed angrily. "No."

"Then what?" Cinderheart pressed, coming up behind her former mentor.

Thornclaw tasted the air and, like Cloudtail, his eyes narrowed. He answered Cinderheart's question. "WindClan scent."

"And it's fresh," Cloudtail added in a growl.

"What?" Hollystar opened her mouth. The tangy scent of WindClan hit her like a blow. She hissed, flexing her claws.

"Look!" Cinderheart cried suddenly, from behind her. Hollystar spun. Cinderheart was standing by the half-eaten remains of a squirrel. She padded to it. It reeked of WindClan scent.

"They've been hunting on our territory," Hollystar snarled.

"That's just mouse-hearted!" Cloudtail growled.

"Come on," Hollystar hissed, wheeling around. "We need to get back to camp."

"Those cowards!" Dustpelt yowled angrily.

Hollystar dug her claws into rock. She had just reported the patrol's findings to her Clanmates, and they had taken the news exactly as she had feared.

"Prey-stealers!" Spiderleg spat scornfully.

"They need to be taught a lesson," Sunpaw snarled.

"What are we going to do, Hollystar?" Rosefrost asked from outside the nursery. She was echoed by her Clanmates.

"Yeah, we can't let them get away with this!"

"Those pieces of fox-dung need to learn that they can't just waltz onto our territory and steal our food!"

"We should attack!"

"Yeah!"

Hollystar stared desperately at her Clanmates. "There's no need for this—" she began.

"What are you talking about?" Splotchpaw asked in astonishment.

"Those fox-hearted cowards have been getting away with whatever they want for too long," Doveflight yelled.

"It's time some cat put them in their place," Graystripe agreed.

"Do you _want _them to hunt on our territory?" Ivyspeckle inquired.

"Of course not!" Hollystar replied hotly. The truth was, she didn't want to put either her kits or Breezestar in danger.

"Then we should attack!" Mousewhisker called.

"And what of our kits?" Poppyfrost called. Her children huddled at her paws. "If we don't stop WindClan, they'll starve!"

"Exactly!" Ashfur cried.

"They shouldn't even be hunting on our territory anyway," Icestorm pointed out. "It's greenleaf, and there's plenty of prey."

"They should find prey in their own territory!" Millie spat, flexing her claws.

"They're just trying to see what they can get away with," Mousefur called.

"And what would happen in leaf-bare, if we let them continue?" Squirrelflight asked. "We'd surely starve to death."

"Yeah, Hollystar, what would happen?" Berrynose asked, glaring at his leader.

Hollystar's claws twitched. She _really _didn't want to attack either her mate or her children, but what could she do? If she refused, her Clan would surely rebel against her. She didn't want that. And if they attacked, it would prove to all the Clans that ThunderClan wasn't weak.

For a moment she was silent.

Then she sighed.

"We attack at dawn," she promised.

**:D How's that for a cliffy ending? **

**Oh, and I have to say again. **

**THE END IS NEAR! **

**I'm so happy. **

**Reviews?**


	33. The Ambush

**Hello meh faithful readers! **** I am going to skip the stupid intro this time and get straight to the story! **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Warriors!  
**

_StarClan help me._

Hollystar was standing on the Highledge. Her Clanmates were gathered silently around her. Ashfur had gathered a massive patrol for the ambush; Sandstorm, Dustpelt, Icestorm, Thornclaw, Ferncloud, Mousewhisker, Cloudtail, Graystripe, Brightheart, Squirrelflight, Foxcatcher, Spiderleg, Toadleap, Ivyspeckle, Doveflight, Whitewing, Briarshadow, Blossomsplash, Bumblestripe, Snowpaw, Sunpaw, and Foampaw. Jayfeather and Blizzardpaw were coming too, to treat any injuries. The rest of her Clan was staying behind to protect the camp. She leaped down the Highledge, dread brewing in her belly. "Remember the plan," she commanded. "My patrol attacks first, then, on my signal, Ashfur's patrol will attack. And remember, no kits or elders will be harmed." Her cats nodded silently. "Then let's go."

Dark storm clouds swirled ominously overhead. "I think I just felt a raindrop," Honeypaw mewed uneasily, pacing back and forth. "Surely StarClan won't bless a battle in this weather?"

"That doesn't matter," Bumblestripe told his apprentice. "We're fighting for our prey. The battle will be justified, no matter the weather."

Rosefrost padded from the nursery, her belly already looking slightly rounded. She approached Foxcatcher, her blue eyes wide with worry. "Be careful," she begged her mate, weaving herself around him. "For our kits' sake."

Foxcatcher purred warmly and gave his mate a swift lick over her ear. "Of course," he murmured. "I love you."

"I love you, too," Rosefrost replied softly, her voice reverberating with grief, as if she had already resigned herself to her mate's death.

Ashfur was standing in front of Poppyfrost by the nursery. His kits were clambering all over him. "Ouch, Poplarkit!" he mewed. The pale gray kit was handing by his claws off his father's flank. "Lavenderkit, that hurts!"

Poppyfrost flicked her kits gently with her tail. "Let your father be," she murmured to them. She turned her gaze to the gray warrior, her amber eyes sorrowful. "I wish you weren't going," she whispered.

Ashfur pressed his muzzle to hers. "I have to go," he replied. "I'm Clan deputy. But I promise you, I'll return safely."

"You'd better." Poppyfrost sounded more forceful than sorrowful now.

Splotchpaw was standing in front of the medicine den. Hollystar was shocked by how frail the young apprentice looked. Her sickness had taken its toll. "I wish I were allowed to go," she mewed to her littermates.

"We wish you were going, too," Snowpaw replied to her sister, giving her snowy pelt a quick grooming.

"You just concentrate on getting better," Sunpaw mewed. "When you're all better, we'll all go hunting together, just like we did when we were first made apprentices."

Cinderheart was sitting next to Blizzardpaw and Jayfeather. "Why does he have to go?" she mewed, fussing over her son. "He's not even trained!"

"Neither is Foampaw," pointed out Blizzardpaw, as if desperate to get his mother away from him.

"She's had a little training," sighed Cinderheart. "You haven't."

Jayfeather swept his tail over his apprentice's haunches. "He won't see any fighting," he promised the gray queen. "We're just coming in case any cat gets seriously injured and can't get back to camp."

"Is that likely?" Blossomsplash mewed, wandering over.

Hollystar noticed that Jayfeather didn't answer.

"Cats of ThunderClan!" Hollystar yowled, her voice echoing off the stone walls of camp. "Today we fight for what is ours!" Eager yowls echoed her, and she plunged through the gorse barrier.

Her paws skimmed the forest floor as she sprinted, her fur buffeted by strong wind that carried the scent of rain. Her Clanmates flowed along behind her, silent except for the occasional excited pant or growl. Hollystar felt strong and powerful, though her belly felt as if it were made of stone.

_I know I'm doing the right thing. So why do I feel so guilty?_

They reached the WindClan border just as the first bolt of lightning split the air. Hollystar stood back and watched her Clanmates leap gracefully across the stepping-stones. They huddled together on the bank, their eyes gleaming in the half-light. At her signal they set off through the moors, Hollystar in the lead. The rain-tainted wind was even stronger here; tugging satisfyingly at her fur and making her narrow her eyes.

She knew where the WindClan camp was from past experience. As the impending gorse bushes that protected the hollow scoop of land that was their home loomed into view, she slowed her pawsteps. At a flick of her tail, her attack patrol spread out behind her. Ashfur's patrol fanned out behind them. Hollystar tasted the air. They were downwind. There were small snuffling sounds from within camp, Hollystar wondered for a moment if any belonged to her kits. She crouched down low, pressing her paws into the earth and gathering power into her haunches. She was aware of her Clanmates waiting anxiously for her signal. A low growl escaped her. She raised her head slightly, baring her teeth.

"_ThunderClan, attack_!" she screeched, and leapt into camp, claws outstretched.

Their ambush had worked. All around her cats were racing from their dens, fur on end and eyes wide with terror. Hollystar could hear the challenging yowls of her cats as they fought. She leapt onto the back of a dark tabby tom and bit hard on his ear. The tom—she recognized him now as Leaftail—wailed as she felt blood well in her mouth. He kicked out hard with his hind legs, and Hollystar felt herself beginning to lose her grip. She dug her claws in deeper, and Leaftail howled in agony. "Keep off our territory, flea-bag!" she hissed.

Leaftail suddenly shot out from under her and Hollystar crashed to the ground with a startled yowl. The tom turned on her, but his eyes suddenly went wide with terror. "Sunstrike!" he cried. Hollystar turned. The young tortoishell she-cat was being held down by Icestorm while Foxcatcher raked his claws along her flank. She was struggling madly and screeching with pain. Leaftail bounded over to her and knocked Icestorm away. Foxcatcher wheeled backward with a startled cry. "I will never let you harm our kits!" the WindClan tom hissed. Sunstrike struggled to her paws, looking dazed, and for the first time, Hollystar noticed that the young she-cat's belly was gently rounded with her kits. Hollystar guessed that Leaftail was her mate.

Foxcatcher blinked and crouched, fur bristling, preparing to attack again. Hollystar bounded over to him. "Stop," she whispered. "Leave her be."

The ginger warrior gazed at her disbelievingly. "But she's a WindClan warrior!"

"She's expecting kits!" He still looked doubtful. "How would you feel if she were Rosefrost?" Foxcatcher blinked, snarled, and vanished back into the battle.

Hollystar leapt after him. She spotted Squirrelflight sparring with Goarsetail and Harespring. The ginger she-cat was panting, and blood was flowing from a wound in her shoulder. Hollystar raced to her mother, batting at the WindClan toms with outstretched claws. Harespring yowled as one of her blows caught his muzzle and blinded him with blood.

"Thanks!" Squirrelflight panted.

"No problem," Hollystar replied. She bounded away.

"Fox-hearts!" a small voice hissed from next to her. Hollystar whirled around, claws outstretched, ready to attack, but then she caught a good look at who had spoken.

Time stood still.

It was her kits.

Moonpaw and Eaglepaw were standing close together with their pelts brushing. Moonpaw—_she looks so much like me—_was standing with her head raised and green eyes blazing. Hollystar thought for a moment she was looking at her reflection from long ago. Eaglepaw was crouching, tearing up the grass with his claws. His amber eyes—_just like Breezestar's—_were gleaming. A low growl escaped him.

"Well, aren't you going to attack?" Moonpaw jeered. "So much for the great leader of ThunderClan!" Eaglepaw laughed agreement, his eyes mocking.

"No…" she whispered. _No…I can't…how could I…my precious kits…any cat but them…StarClan wouldn't be so cruel! _

"Well, Hollystar?" Eaglepaw asked, sounding different, less sure of himself than his sister.

Hollystar could only gaze at them. Could these really be the little scraps that she had borne and raised through their first half moon, who she had almost given her life for, who had nuzzled in her belly looking for milk, who she had abandoned in the snowy clearing that night?

She sighed and turned away.

"Wait!"

The yowl split the air. Hollystar spun.

It was Breezestar.

He was standing on a protruding stone at the edge of camp. As she watched, he leaped down in one fluid movement and stalked over to Hollystar. The crowd around her cleared, until it was just her facing off with Breezestar in the exact center of camp. "Well, Hollystar?" the black tom snarled. "What do you have to say for yourself?"

Hollystar raised her eyes and met his gaze defiantly. "You've been hunting on our territory, Breezestar," she mewed calmly. "We've come to teach you a lesson."

"We've never hunted on your territory!" Breezestar cried. "How dare you accuse of us of such things?"

"Lies!" Hollystar screeched. "We found half-eaten prey on our territory that absolutely _reeked _of your scent!" She crouched and thrashed her tail.

"No cat in WindClan ever crossed the border!" Breezestar retaliated.

She could only glare at him. For several heartbeats both were silent.

"What are you waiting for?" Mousewhisker cried. "Attack him!"

She met the gaze of the cat who had once been her mate and the father of her kits. His gaze was as troubled as her own.

Her blood pounded in her ears. A thousand emotions swirled inside her mind. Grief. Horror. Bloodlust. Sorrow. Yet, at the same time, she felt strangely numb.

She _wanted _to attack. She _needed _to attack. She wanted to lunge at him and shred his ears, claw his eyes out, feel his blood run across her paws…

But she couldn't bring herself to do it.

She blinked slowly and lowered her head. "I can't."

"What?" Mousewhisker cried. His cry was taken up by his Clanmates, until it felt like every cat in the clearing was screaming at her.

She turned her face the sky. "I can't attack him."

"Why not?" demanded Mousewhisker, his gray and white fur bristling.

"This battle has been fought and won," she told Breezestar, her voice oddly calm. "No more hunting on our territory."

"We never did in the first place," Breezestar countered. "But I promise that I'll do everything within my power to make sure it doesn't."

She turned to her bloody Clanmates. "Come on," she told them, her voice weighed down with grief.

"Let's go home."

**DRUMROLL PLEASE! **

**Yep, you guessed it, that was, *gasp* THE END! **

**I know! I'm shocked too! O.O**

**I might write an epilogue…if I feel like it. **

**Reviews? **


	34. The End

**I said I would write an epilogue…and you didn't believe me, did you? Well HA!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Warriors.**

Warm golden light dappled cool gray stone. A slight breeze gently stirred the leaves on the trees, creating a comforting sound. The low murmur of cat's voices reached her, nothing but soothing backround noise.

Hollystar turned her face to the sky. Green-leaf would be ending soon. Her Clan was well-fed and healthy, more than able to face the long-leaf bare ahead of them. The warriors den was full, and more were on the way. The WindClan border had been secure for the past few moons, ThunderClan patrols had found no trace of WindClan scent inside their territory.

But the moons following the battle hadn't been all mice and moonlight. Toadleap had been badly injured in the battle. He had managed to drag himself back to camp, but he had joined StarClan the moonrise after the battle. Blossomsplash had been devastated. She was in the nursery now. She had gone into battle expecting his kits. Splotchpaw, who had been ill before the battle, had gotten worse. Her illness had developed into greencough. Jayfeather and Blizzardpaw had given her catmint, but the young apprentice wasn't strong enough to overcome it. She died. Hollystar hoped she was safe StarClan now, stalking through the skies beside her father.

The sunset patrol padded through the barrier; Foxcatcher, Bumblestripe, Brightheart, and Sunpaw. The golden tom's jaws were stuffed with a plump rabbit, and his amber eyes gleamed with pride. He seemed to have gotten over the death of his sister. Hollystar was pleased with her apprentice. He would make a fine warrior someday. He dropped his prey on the fresh-kill pile and padded over to the apprentice's den. Snowpaw was already there, she greeted her brother with a warm purr. He touched his nose to hers, and vanished into the shallow cave.

Ivyspeckle was stretched outside the warriors den with Bumblestripe pressed close to her. The gray tom purred to her and licked her ear tenderly. She sighed contentedly and rested her muzzle on his shoulder.

Mousewhisker padded from the warriors den, yawning and blinking sleep out of his yellow eyes. Hollystar raised a paw, hoping that he would see her. He ignored her, picking a thrush from the fresh-kill pile and settling down by Hazeltail to eat. Hollystar's heart sank. The gray and white tom had refused to speak to her ever since she had refused to attack Breezestar. She hoped he would come around soon. She loved him and didn't want to lose the closeness they shared.

But he would, in time. Time changed everything, from the seasons to prey to cats to the Clans themselves.

Sunlight speckled her fur.

She wished every day could be like this. Warm, with plenty of prey and the confidence that her Clan was strong.

But of course they couldn't. Greenleaf would always give way to leaf-fall, which would eventually fade into leaf-bare. But new-leaf would always come again. Prey would always be caught and killed. Borders would always be argued and fought over and changed and fought over again. Kits would always be born and cats would always die. Cats would always bicker and laugh and flirt and fall in love.

Life would always go on.

***sobs* Oh my goodness! That was beautiful, if I do say so myself! Anyway, I do hate to leave you, my dedicated readers, and that's why I have a very pressing question to ask you…**

***drum roll* **

**Who wants me to write a sequel?**

**And I have this…**

**A tribute to all my reviewers! I shall try not to be too sappy lol:**

_**Aakacub**_**—I have no clue whether or not you're still reading this, but, as my first ever reviewer, I felt you should be included in this. Thanks for giving me the incentive go on. **

_**Celeste Night, xNightsoulx, Icethroat21, scarpath, Chat et Chocolate, Luvlee45215, and Te Amo Emmet**_**—massive thanks for reviewing (almost) every chapter and being my faithful followers! You…deserve cookies! *hands out cookies* **

_**Jimmy the Book Lover**_** (and Steph now, I guess)—even after multiple threats to stalk me, (not to be scary lol) I still think you should be thanked. **** So, thank you! You can get a cookie too. *hands over a cookie***

_**Random Person in Ur Bushes**_**—lmao I love your username. **** I would give you a cookie too, but I ran out. :`(**

_**To everybody that annoyed me about the names**_**—I forgive you. It would've bugged me too. But after I read Sunset I changed some, and after I read The Fourth Apprentice I decided I just didn't care anymore. XP**

_**To everyone who bugged me about BreezeXHolly being incest**_**—I started this after I finished Eclipse. I read Long Shadows and Sunset, and decided I didn't want to give up this story. (Cuz I **_**hate**_** all incest 'cept for this couple) I let you know in an A/N (They're there for a reason, people!), and yet you **_**still **_**bug me. I'm ignoring those kind of reviews now. **

_**To everyone who reviewed and wasn't mentioned here**_**—Thanks. Just thanks. **

**I somehow thought this would be longer…oh well! **


	35. Possible Revision?

Hey everyone! Now, I was looking over this the other day and I realized—this is horrible! It looks like a two-year-old wrote it! My writing really disgusts me sometimes. So what am I, being the genius author that I am, to do? That, dear readers, is for you to decide. I was thinking about rewriting it. I figure I'll work on each chapter individually, just making a few changes to some but completely rewriting others. (Namely chapters 1-6) They'll be longer and more detailed, and, hopefully, BETTER.

But, of course, it's all for you to decide. Leave a review and/or go vote on my poll to tell me what you think.

Hugs and kisses and cookies,

xxIceCrystalxx


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